


Choosing Sides

by romanticalgirl



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-30
Updated: 2014-01-30
Packaged: 2018-01-10 14:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 25,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1160951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Mayor's Ascension is fast approaching and it's up to the Scooby gang to stop it. The only problem is that now the FBI is on their tail. (begun after "The Prom" episode)</p><p>Cowritten by Amy and Tracy, neither of whom are in fandom any longer. :(</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choosing Sides

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 9/20/2000

The phone was ringing as Oz entered the house. His first instinct was to let it ring and have the machine pick it up. His second instinct was sharper more panic-like. People generally did not call after eleven unless something supernatural was up. And with the Mayor’s ascension approaching, they had to be more careful than ever.  
He quickly lowered his guitar case to the floor and reached for the phone, hoping that he wasn’t too late to get the bad news of the evening.

“Hello?” He hadn’t meant to sound as nervous as he did.

“Hi!” Willow chirped back at him.

Oz smiled at the sound of her voice. He almost forgot to be concerned at the late hour. “Everything okay?” he asked.

“Um. Oh, yeah! All the weirdness is fine. I just missed you, is all.”

Relief washed though Oz and he was about to sit when the sound hit him. A high-pitched piercing screech that seemed to find its way directly to his spinal cord. He removed the receiver from his ear and glared at it for a moment. Suddenly, cold fear washed through him. He knew what was going on. “Will?” he asked cautiously. “Can you hear that?”

“Hear what?” she asked, puzzled.

Oz’s heart stopped beating for a long second. The screeching wail was making it hard for him to think. This was more important than anything he’d probably ever said in his life. “Will, listen carefully. Can you hear me?”

Willow’s voice had just a minute trace of panic as she answered, “I can hear you fine.”

“Willow. Your phone is bugged. Leave now and go to a neutral place. I’ll find you. Hang up right now.”

He waited until he heard the click before lowering his own phone.

Abruptly, the noise stopped. He held his head for a few moments, trying to clear it. He fought the urge to blindly run out and meet Willow, make sure she was safe. If her phone was tapped, there was a good chance everyone else’s phones were too.

He stood cautiously and grabbed his guitar case. He strode up the stairs purposefully, and stashed it in his closet as he reached for a flashlight. He turned out the light in his room and snaked his way along the wall to his window. Reaching the window frame, he peered cautiously outside. The yard looked normal and deserted. He reached for the phone on his nightstand and lifted it to call Buffy. Rudely the screeching noise invaded his system. ‘Great, now I’m bugged too’, he thought.

He sighed and put the phone back. He stayed low to the ground in the darkened house, creeping along the hallway to his parents’ room at the front of the house. They were off protesting something or other in Washington. He was glad their blinds were drawn. He peeked through the crack between the blinds and the window to the street below. He scanned the area for any telltale vans or suspicious cars with bugging equipment, but the street was empty. “I obviously wasn’t their first choice,” he murmured.

He flicked the flashlight in his hand on and took a deep breath. He shone it through the crack in the blinds and watched carefully as the beam of light trailed along the hedges outside his front yard. He was about to turn it off when his eyes caught a gleam of metal reflecting the light. “Damn!” he cursed, quickly turning the flashlight off.

Oz didn’t waste any time. He was checking his jacket pocket for his keys and wallet as he made his way through the darkened house at a dead run. He was almost at the back door when he heard the front door open. He belatedly made a note to always lock the door behind him, even when the phone was ringing. ‘Not vampires’, he noted as well, pushing his legs harder, throwing himself out the back door of the kitchen. He briefly considered running across his yard, but at the last moment dove to the grass and rolled under the back porch. The space was tight, but he froze as he heard footsteps on the boards above him.

“See him?” a masculine voice asked.

“No, but he was running pretty hard,” a female answered. “This is too small to hide under.” She pounded on the boards with her heel for emphasis. “He must’ve gotten away.” Oz felt a light sweat break out on his forehead, dewy against the cool air as his heart raced.

The masculine voice sighed. “He’s got to come home sometime.”

“He knows about the bug. He won’t be back anytime soon,” the female argued.

“Then we’re just going to have to find him,” came the answer.

Oz listened carefully for the next few minutes, as their footsteps diminished and receded into the house. Briefly he hoped they didn’t trash the place. He counted to two hundred slowly, fighting to concentrate on the idea that Willow must have gotten away. The fact that there were people staking out his house made him nervous that she’d been caught. As he reached two hundred, he took a shallow breath and rolled out from under the porch. He slithered along the grass, towards the back gate to the Wilkinson’s yard. Reaching his destination, he chanced a glance back over his shoulder at his house. It was still dark, he couldn’t see anyone inside.

He lifted the gate latch slowly, and said a silent prayer of thanks that he’d oiled the hinges a week ago to use up the rest of the WD40 after oiling his full-moon chains and shackles. The gate swung open silently and Oz sprinted through the darkness towards where Willow would be.

**

The two men in front of the Rosenberg residence were clearly flummoxed. They had heard the warning given to her to get out of her house, but they hadn’t seen her leave any of the exits. And all of them were being videotaped. The warning had come nearly twenty minutes ago, but still the doors remained sealed, the house remained quiet, and their target remained hidden.  
“So, is she ever gonna come out?” the first man asked.

The second man shrugged, keeping his eyes glued to the screens lighting up the interior of the van with a blue glow. “Maybe not. Maybe she thinks we’re out here.”

“We *are*,” the first man pointed out.

“Should we issue an alert?”

The first man nodded. “I’ll radio to the others. We don’t have the option of observation anymore. Now we’re going to have to move in.” Grimly, he moved to the front of the van.

The second man spared his partner a glance as he switched cameras and began rewinding his frontal exterior tape. He reached for his coffee, momentarily taking his eyes off the screen. The same moment which would have revealed a slight red-headed girl easing out of a basement window into the hedge around the front of the house before slinking along the driveway and then into a neighbor’s yard.

***  
Oz ran until he thought his lungs might burst. Then he ran harder.

His mind raced with the possibilities of who these people could be. Nothing seemed right.

He rounded the ice cream parlor on the corner of Hamilton Street, ducking into the crevice between two buildings quickly. His chest heaved and his heart beat against his ribcage as he rested his head on the cool brick. He waited a minute to see if anyone was following, and then emerged onto the sidewalk. He jogged backwards for a few seconds checking out the area, and then broke into another run, heading for the place Giles had wisely suggested be used as a meeting place in case of emergencies. A place they had nicknamed, ‘the neutral place’. The place where he hoped Willow would be waiting. The cemetery.

***  
Willow slunk from yard to yard, her mind racing. How had Oz known her line was tapped? She’d been able to verify that by spotting the blue van just outside her house. But then, what did it mean? She had no answers, and the more she thought about things, the more questions she had.

She did what Buffy taught her, counting slowly to five before moving from hiding place to hiding place, staying in the shadows and keeping her ears strained for sounds. The only noise she could really hear was the pounding of her own heart, sending the blood roaring in her ears.

She thought about going and getting Buffy, but she decided it would be better to hook up with Oz first, at the cemetery. She was sure that was what he was trying to convey with his cryptic words. She reached the juncture at Lang Avenue, and searched the streets for movements. She took a second to adjust her backpack, and then got her cross out of the pocket of the worn bag. Cross in hand, she took a deep breath before continuing.

Willow carefully crossed the street in a dimly lit area, reluctant to slink along the same side of the street that Xander’s house was on. She was afraid someone was monitoring the area. Her fears seemed genuine when she spotted a white van parked just down the road from Xander’s driveway. Even in the darkness, she could see the slight glow like that of a television screen coming through the tinted back windows. She glanced up to Xander’s room, and winced as she saw her friend having a very animated and imaginary tennis match on his bed. She couldn’t call and warn him. Her heart clenched as she tried to think of something she could do.

She held her breath and ducked down behind a bush further as one of the van doors opened. A man in a gray suit and overcoat made his way to Xander’s door matter-of-factly. She searched everything, trying to catalogue and store any details she might be asked later. Her concentration was shattered as she saw the man ring the doorbell. Her eyes flew to Xander’s window, and she prayed feverishly that he was listening to music so loud her would never hear.

She squelched a cry of dismay as she watched him abandon his tennis game and bound off his bed. His front door opened seconds later. She knew he wouldn’t invite the guy in, and hoped he was smart enough to slam the door closed once he realized he didn’t know the man. Too late. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the man grab Xander by the neck and seemingly inject him with something. Xander slumped to the porch bonelessly. Willow began to hyperventilate, both because her friend was in danger, and because she had so narrowly escaped the same fate.

A second man got out of the vehicle and together the two men picked up Xander and then deposited her unconscious friend into the side door of the van. She dug her nails into her hands as tears sprang to her eyes. She watched helplessly as the van sped away from the corner and rapidly disappeared down the street. Far too fast for her to follow. Whatever was going on, it was obvious they were in a hurry.

She stood slowly, letting the tears make silent trails down her cheeks. She was tired, afraid, and had no idea what was going on. And now, one her best friends had been abducted. Chances were that Buffy and Oz , and maybe even Giles, had been captured too. She struggled to gather her emotions, knowing that she’d have to continue to the cemetery and see who showed up. She just hoped she wouldn’t be there alone.

***  
Oz paced in front of the small mausoleum, checking his watch and raking his hand through his short hair in frustration. He had totally expected Willow to be waiting here. She lived a lot closer to this place than he did. He cursed his lack of slaying equipment and decided that if Willow didn’t show up in the next five minutes, he was heading to Buffy’s house.

Three minutes later, Oz heard someone approaching from the path. He threw himself headlong into a nearby bush, fearing that a vampire had come out looking for a meal. When Willow came into view, his heart almost exploded with relief. He quickly extricated himself from the bush and reached out to hug her.

The feel of her cross slamming into his cheek made him freeze mid-movement.

“Not a vampire,” he said.

“Oz!” Willow threw both arms around him and nearly made him lose his footing. “They got Xander!”

“Do you know who? Who they were?”

“No!” she moaned. “They injected him with something. He was, he passed out. Then they drove off with him. What are we gonna do?”

Oz thought about her question. “Do you think Buffy’s okay?”

Willow shook her head. “I dunno. If they were watching us and Xander, they had to be watching her too.”

“And probably Giles,” Oz added.

“Let’s find Angel!” Willow suggested.

“Angel? Maybe they’re staking him out too, pardon the pun.”

“Maybe, but if not, we can use him. Angel could sneak up on his own shadow,” she replied, feeling some hope light her heart. “Maybe he could use his contacts and find out what's going on."

"Okay," Oz agreed. "We find Angel."

***  
Angel lit the fire in his fireplace for, undoubtedly, the last time. As much as he hated leaving, he knew he had to do so. As if being tortured by his soul were not enough, he was now required to be noble.

A soft noise caught his attention and banished his lonely thoughts.

Grabbing a stake and a bottle of holy water, he cautiously made his way to the door. The other local vampires had gotten bolder lately, attacking him around the mansion whenever Buffy wasn't there.

The sound came again and he threw the door open, tossing the water at the intruder. Willow and Oz, now soaked, stared at him with a mixture of fear and amusement.

"What does it mean when our resident vamp is jumpy?" Oz's laconic tone made Angel smile.

"Sorry. Can't be too careful these days." He raised an eyebrow and deliberately walked away from the door.

Willow walked in, Oz behind her. "Do you have a phone?"

"On the table." He nodded toward it, watching Oz as he picked it up.

Nodding, the younger man hung it up.

"Clear."

"Do I get to know what's going on, or do I stay in the dark figuratively as well?"

Willow sat next to the fire to curb her shivers. "Xander was kidnapped."

"Who would want to kidnap Xander? Have they met him?"

Oz smiled, hiding it quickly at Willow's worried glance. "And our phones are tapped. There are vans and people outside our houses and Willow saw them inject Xander with something before stuffing him into a van."

Willow hugged herself and tried to hold in her sob. "We didn't know where to go, where it was safe. But you're sneaky guy, so we thought you could help us. We need you to help us."

"Do we know anything about Buffy?"

"No. We don't know about Buffy, Giles, Wesley or Cordelia." Oz moved over to Willow and wrapped his arm around her. "We're assuming that they've been taken. But we were hoping you could put your ear to the ground?"

"I have some sources." He nodded. "Do you want to stay here?"

"No." Willow's voice was adamant. "Just help us stick to the shadow."

Angel grabbed his coat. "You guys have protection?"

Oz nodded. "That's about the only thing we do have."

"Any ideas as to who these people are?"

"FBI." Oz stated. "Blue coats and all. My uncle dated an agent once.

That's how I knew the sound was a tap."

"FBI." Angel tamped down the fire. "The probably have the entire town staked out."

Willow winced at the unintended pun. "But they probably don't know about the vampires. So we may be doing some staking ourselves."

***  
Leaning back against the brick wall of Willie's bar, Willow took a deep breath. "Running…not fun."

Oz's hand ran through her auburn hair, rubbing the silky strands of it between his fingers. Staring at her, he couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to his current favorite daydream. As the Ascension drew nearer, he seemed to spend all of his free time thinking about Willow - touching her, loving her, needing her.

He moved closer, the soft feel of her distracting him from the tenseness of their situation. However, a flicker of movement caught his overactive senses and his hand tightened in her hair, bending her forward, away from the wall. The stake slid down his coat sleeve into his hand and he embedded it in the heart of the vampire that had snuck up on them. Willow straightened slowly, staring at the space the vamp had so recently occupied. "Oh."

"Everything okay?" Angel stepped out of the shadows and looked at the two frightened teenagers.

"Fine." Oz put his arm around Willow and gave her a quick squeeze. "Any news?"

"Low key operation, no news on the streets, according to Willie. Although he said the vampire population seems to be finding reasons to stay in tonight."

Willow was about to say something when her eyes widened. "Van."

"Where?" Angel grabbed her hand, she grabbed Oz's and they all stepped deeper into the shadow.

"Back to the left. It drove by, but I'm not sure if they saw us."

Angel looked around them, seeing a fire escape ladder leading up to the roof. "Well, we're going to assume they did." He dropped Willow's hand and put his hands on her waist. Lifting her up to the bottom rung, he looked up at the roof. "Climb up there, lay low. We'll be up in a minute and go from there. They won't expect us to take to the roofs."

Willow did as he said, scrambling up the ladder as fast as she could. Angel gave Oz a boost as well before following them. Together again, they glanced at the rooftops. "Well, where do we go from here?"

"I could…" Willow blushed. "Well, I think I could."

"Could what?" Angel asked.

"I have a spell that might tell me where they are?"

"No. I don’t think we should resort to magic yet, Willow. There has to be a more mundane method of…"

"Willow Rosenberg?" The sound seemed to come from all around them. "We need you to come down. Your parents are in the hospital."

The redhead tensed and shook her head. "Okay, now they're playing mind games. Let's go."

They all kept low to the roofs, running silently. Soft shouts could be heard below them as the agents who were following them kept tabs on their movements. They ran until they reached the end of the buildings.

Angel helped Willow over the side, encouraging her silently to slide down the ladder. He and Oz followed quickly, taking off at a dead run when they hit the ground.

"There they are! Six o'clock!"

Willow glanced back; trying to catch her breath as she ran faster than she ever had before. It looked as though they were actually making headway when a car screeched to a halt in front of them.

Principal Snyder threw open the passenger door of his station wagon. "Get in!"

"Are you crazy?" Willow asked breathlessly.

"Damn it, get in! If you want to help me fight the Mayor and get away from the FBI, get in the damn car."

Angel shoved Willow then Oz into the front seat before following them. He slammed the door shut, not caring that his jacket was caught in the door or that the other two were practically on top of the rodent-like principal. The car pealed off just as several FBI agents reached them.

"And exactly how do you know what's going on?" Oz asked.

"I told them where to find you."

At Principal Snyder's words, Willow shrank as far away from him as much she could manage, pressing herself into her boyfriend’s shoulder. Oz's usually unrufflable expression got angry, then worried.

Willow's voice was shaky. "W-What do you mean? Are you taking us to them right now?"

Principal Snyder glared at her for a moment before turning his attention to the road again. After a pause, he replied. "No." He mumbled under his breath. "Why do I have to explain to children?"

Willow relaxed a little bit and looked at him intently. "Because apparently you got us into this mess."

His face became concerned, more than Willow would have thought him capable of. He glanced in the rear view mirror and swore softly to himself at what he saw there. Angel turned around to look.

"I second your thoughts," he murmured quietly to Snyder, keeping one eye on the van that was staying at a steady pace behind them. "And I suggest we lose them."

"Ohhh, yes," Willow said breathlessly. "Losing them is definitely a priority."

"Angel's old apartment," Oz suggested. "That would be safe. I think."

Principal Snyder nodded. "Yes," he confirmed. With a sudden and surprising squeal, the car sped up and turned a corner. Snyder flicked off the lights and shot down several alleyways so quickly that the rest of the group was stunned. When they exited the maze of small alleys, Willow recognized the street they originally started from, minus the van, which was no doubt lost by then. Angel gave an airless sigh of relief and then proceeded to give the principal directions to his old home.

**

The room was dark and a think layer of dust covered everything. Angel flipped on a couple of lamps and was pleased to find the electricity still working. He hadn't been there since... Well, he didn't like to think about the last time he had been there.  
Willow walked over to the bed and sat down heavily on the feather mattress.

Oz looked at her, concerned, and sat down beside her. She leaned into him, inhaling his scent and kissing his shoulder lightly. He stroked her hair. "You okay, Baby?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, not moving from his embrace. "It's just, there's so much. And now Xander and probably Giles and Buffy and Cordelia... How're we going to get through this?"

"We're going to get through this just fine, Willow," Angel assured her.

"We've gotten through worse, haven't we?"

"Cordelia?" Snyder spoke up. "Chase? Why would she have been taken? She’s not on the list."

They turned to look at him, and he was suddenly very interested in his shoes. Oz spoke calmly. "Now. Tell us what's going on."

Snyder exhaled deeply, finally looking up and meeting their eyes one by one. "I got involved with the Mayor when I first moved here. Or, I guess you could say I was summoned here. I was told that I was going to be helping humanity. I had connections, and I was going places. I might've even run for city council in the place I used to live. I was a good person."

Willow's eyes widened and Angel fought to not smirk at the man who was so obviously repentant. After a minute, he went on.

"I was put in the position to watch the "threats" very carefully. I've never liked children, but I did it because the Mayor told me that in time, I would help save the world. The goings on in Sunnydale are less of a secret than the town thinks, and I believed him. I was supposed to watch Buffy. He told me that she had the power to suck the world into hell."

At that, Angel flinched and growled. "She saved it from that fate," he defended.

Snyder put up his hands helplessly, and Willow and Oz were struck by the change in him.

"The mayor went on to say, after the girl was found dead in the library, that I had full power over her future at the school, leaving me no doubt as to what he expected. And I went along blindly. Because I wanted power -- because she had been involved in so much. Because I believed him." He licked his lips, trying to sort out his thoughts. "A few days ago he called me and requested that I give the names of those in your group to the FBI agents that would call, and the addresses. He said that within the next few days, the operation would be finalized, and Buffy and her friends could stand in the way of all that. I think he led the FBI astray as well, but I'm not sure."

Willow cut in. "How did you find out that... Well, that you had been wrong?" she asked bluntly.

"Those bug things,” he shuddered briefly at the memory. “I called him and asked why he had them. I was starting to question what he had told me what his real motives were. He suggested I come to his office and he would explain everything. But when I was in his office tonight, waiting for him to come in for our meeting, one of his cabinets was jarred, and I noticed a glow inside of it. I went over to close it, and glanced inside as I did. It was... more than I expected," he finished.

Willow nodded, understanding. "The cabinets with the offerings to all the dark lords? And the shrunken heads?" The principal looked at her, surprised. "Yes. As soon as I saw it, though, I felt dizzy. I think... I can't be sure, but I think..." He looked around, not knowing how to describe his thoughts.

"That the mayor was controlling your mind this whole time?" Angel asked knowingly.

"Well, maybe not the whole time, but yes."

"That makes sense. The dizziness you described often accompanies the mind breaking free of constraints put on it," Angel explained.

Willow's voice was small. "Well, how do we know what to do next? And, how do we find out about the others?" Principal Snyder smiled briefly and then pulled out a cellular phone from his coat pocket.

"I have an idea."

***  
Snyder clapped his phone shut with a note of satisfaction. “They’ve got them now. The Mayor is extremely disappointed that you got away.”

“Where are they?” Angel asked.

“The FBI is holding them in the Sunnydale Jail. They have Ms. Summers, Mr. Harris, Mr. Giles, and that other British fellow. They picked him up at Mr. Giles’ house,” Snyder checked off on his fingers as he rhymed them off.

“Wesley,” Willow breathed.

“Not much of a liability really,” Oz pointed out. “If he were here, he’d just be making us nuts.”

“They’re looking for you two right now,” Snyder said indicating the redhead and the guitarist sitting on the couch.

“Why isn’t he killing them?” Angel mused, crossing the room to the closet and reaching inside. “If he’s so afraid of them stopping his Ascension, why isn’t he taking more permanent measures?” He seemed to find what he was looking for and took out a radio.

Snyder arched an eyebrow. “He has, plans, I guess you could call them, for what he’s going to do with them.” He paced for a moment and began to sit down in one of Angel’s leather chairs. He stopped in mid-movement. “Ascension?”

Willow nodded and cleared her throat. “He plans on becoming a demon, and then opening the mouth to Hell and bringing forth a demon realm.”

Snyder’s eyes widened as he absorbed her information.

“But we’re not gonna let that happen,” Angel said grimly. He plugged in his radio and began fiddling with the dials. The sound of a police scanner filled the room. “This oughta keep us a little informed.” He indicated his phone with a jerk of his head. “Oz, can you check that? Make sure it’s okay?’

Oz nodded and brought the receiver to his ear. “Clean.”

“Good. Willow, what’s in your backpack?”

She smiled shyly as she answered, “My laptop. And two spell books. One of which belongs to Giles, so it’s got some stronger spells.”

“You really *are* a witch?” Snyder seemed alarmed.

Oz sighed. “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he murmured under his breath.

Angel arched his eyebrow, ignoring the principal. “Does Giles know you have it?”

Willow blushed deeply and avoided his gaze. “Um, n-not exactly.”

Angel smiled. “Can you get hooked into the net and get me the floor plans for the jail? First we have to get the others out, or we’re dead in the water. We can’t stop the Mayor without Buffy. We’ve only got two days. ”

Willow nodded, unpacking her knapsack onto the table. Angel took one spellbook and handed the other to Oz. “Look for something that could help immobilize the Mayor.”

“Like a freezing spell or something?” Oz, asked, flipping the book open.

Angel nodded, opening his own tome. “I’ll look for something to get Buffy and the others out.” For a moment, all was quiet as Willow began typing and the sound of flipping pages filled the air.

Snyder suddenly cleared his throat. “Uh, is there… something… I could do?”

Angel glared at him. “You know how to pray?”

**

Faith paced the length of her apartment. The Ascension was two days away, and she was starting to feel cagey. She just wanted it over with. One way or the other.  
She jumped at the knock at her door, glad for something to do. Her face split into a grin when she saw the Mayor standing there.

“There’s my girl!” He exclaimed, full of the bright enthusiasm she had found so grating lately. “I have a surprise for you.”

Here eyes flicked to the box in his hands. “You’re giving me the box of Gavrock?” she asked, not really getting where he was going with this surprise thing.

The Mayor chuckled as he made his way past her to put the box on a table.

“Yes, but not as a present. I need you to guard it for me. Those stupid vampires I had protecting it kept trying to sneak peeks inside. Lost four of them yesterday.” He turned and bestowed an enormous smile on her. “But my Faith is smart enough to know when to leave things alone.”

Faith offered a weak smile and nodded. The idea of that box in her apartment made her skin crawl. She playfully sidled up to the Mayor. “Then what’s my surprise?”

The Mayor grinned at her. “Come with me and find out.”

Faith eagerly grabbed her jacket, following him to her door. She was pulling it closed when she spotted the box sitting on her table. The smile faded from her face.

“Faith?” The Mayor was holding his car door open for her. “Did you forget something?”

Faith closed her eyes and forced the feelings down. “Nah. Be right there, Boss.”

She really never meant to slam the door.

***  
Buffy stared stoically ahead. This grilling game was getting tedious. She was running out of ‘anywhere but heres’ to play. Two agents paced back and forth in front of her. They were obviously frustrated.

“If you tell us what the plan was, we can offer you a lesser plea,” the first agent, Hogg, pointed out. In her head, she had taken to calling the balding, pudgy man ‘Piggy’. His partner, a small, mustached blonde man, was known in her mind as ‘Skippy’. She rolled her eyes at their offer and maintained her silence. She didn’t know what was going on, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to confess to anything. She focused on the worn spot on the table in front of her, trying to think of a way out.

At first, when she’d woken up on a bed in a dank cell, she’d had every intention of breaking out. She examined her surroundings carefully, taking in the bars on the windows and the heavy locked door that provided the only way in or out. She looked out the small window on the door, and was somewhat puzzled to find men with FBI badges pacing outside. There were only two FBI agents guarding her room, and she was sure when they finally unlocked her cell that she could easily overpower them. Then she would get to Giles and find out what was going on. She kept her eyes trained on the small window of her cell, waiting for an opportunity.

Her plan had been shattered when she had caught sight of two more agents leading Giles past her cell. Someone had captured Giles. And her. And God knew who else.

Skippy leaned over and smiled at her. She was sure they weren’t bad people, just misguided. “Miss Summers, we want to help you, but you have to let us.”

She rolled her eyes at the cliché and ignored him.

A sharp knock at the door made all three occupants of the small room jump. Piggy hurried to open the door. Buffy’s heart sank as she watched the Mayor and Faith step in. “Agent Hogg, Agent Rivers, may we have a minute with Miss Summers?” He gestured to Faith. “This is an old friend of hers, she may be able to convince Miss Summers to speak to you.”

His smile, so easily passed off to the agents, looked positively evil to Buffy. The agents nodded, weary of dealing with their silent charge. “Two minutes,” Agent Hogg allowed, shepherding his partner out of the room. Faith sat down across from Buffy at the table. Her grin was victorious. “Hey B!”

Buffy glared at her.

The Mayor took the other seat. “Miss Summers, Buffy, if I may, you look troubled.” Buffy remained mute.

“Do you know the feeling of triumph?” The Mayor grinned expansively. “It was all so easy, you know. A few phone calls, a few hours, and you and your little merry band were stopped.” He chuckled softly. “It was almost *too* easy.” He turned to Faith. “I told you she wouldn’t be a factor.”

Faith smiled back, trying to ignore the gnawing at her stomach. She couldn’t take her mind off the box in her apartment or its contents.

Buffy’s teeth clenched once. She wished she wasn’t handcuffed to the table. She may not be able to hurt Mr. Invulnerable, but she could probably lay some damage on Faith. “Where are the others?” she spat out.

The Mayor turned his attention back to her. “Well, you can talk, after all.” He pretended to think. “Let me see. Well, Mr. Giles is in jail.

And Mr. Harris, well, he’s in jail. Mr.—“ He turned to Faith. “What was that annoying other fellow’s name?”

“Wesley,” Faith supplied.

“Oh yes! Wesley is in jail,” the Mayor continued, smiling broadly as he finished.

“Willow?” Buffy asked fearfully.

“Soon to be in jail,” the Mayor replied, waving his hand. “She and her friend -- Oz, was it? haven’t been secured yet. But they will be.”

“Why? What do you want with us?”

“You folks wanted to crash my coming out party. Not only would that have been very impolite, it would have really been very inconvenient. So, I had the FBI pick you up. You’d be amazed how quickly the word ‘conspiracy’ raises red flags. They were here in a few hours.”

Buffy glared at him. “Then why arrest us? Why not just kill us and get it over with?” she demanded boldly.

The Mayor leaned forward, across the table, so his face was mere inches from hers. “Call me a romantic. I thought it would be much more fun to torture you and your friends after my Ascension before ripping your heart out and feeding it to a hell hound.” He grinned at her perversely. “You’re so full of good, and hope, and confidence and virtue. It would kill you to watch as I destroyed the world around you. Your friends, your mother, everyone who doesn’t even know you, who you work so hard to protect.”

Her eyes teared up involuntarily. She could only glare at him.

“I’m going to kill them all first, and make you watch. Those insects in the box of Gavrock those are powerless compared to the other monsters and demons I’ll have running around the world. You’ll go insane, and then I’ll kill you. Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

Faith shifted in her chair, picturing the world as he painted it. Suddenly something inside her seemed to awaken. She remembered the satisfaction of slaying a monster, of saving someone’s life. The rush was intense. It was the best rush to have. She gazed at the Mayor with new eyes, and what she saw actually frightened her. “Boss? Can I have a second alone with B?”

The Mayor stood and lightly patted her shoulder. “I’ll be waiting outside,” he assured her.

Faith watched as he closed the door behind him and then leaned back across the table.

“I hate you,” Buffy said, the tears spilling out onto her cheeks.

“I don’t care,” Faith answered, in short clipped tones. “I have the box. Where are Willow and Oz? I can give it to them. Also, I can get them those pages that’ll help them. I know there’s something in there. He was frantic when they went missing. They took them off Giles when they brought him in.”

Buffy stared at her in horror. “Even if I knew where they were, you are the second last person I would *ever* tell. You and your master -- can’t play good cop, bad cop with me.”

Faith pounded her palm on the table. “Dammit B! This is my last chance to fix this!” She searched for a way to convince the other Slayer she’d changed her tune. She gazed across at the blonde Slayer. “You know, B. You know the way it feels when you save somebody from a blood-sucking fiend.

This is our chance to stop Wilkins and save the world. Imagine the rush!”

Buffy narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t about the rush, Faith! It’s about the lives of millions of people.”

Faith looked down at her hands. “I know that. I know you have no reason to trust me. I know I wouldn’t trust me. But this is real, I swear! I don’t want him to win.”

Buffy’s gaze turned to skeptical. “You should have thought of that before you joined him.”

“Dammit Buff! You want me to say I’m sorry? Fine, I’m sorry. But don’t let him win just to spite me!” Her voice became a whisper. “We may not be friends, or even like each other, but there’s no reason we can’t do this together.”

Buffy raised her eyes and searched Faith’s. She examined the fire, the passion, and finally the truth. Faith really did want this. “I’m going to need a weapon. For when they come for me.”

Reluctantly, Faith stood, and began emptying her pockets on the table.

Finding the objects she wanted, she moved around to Buffy’s side of the table. She pressed the small, sheathed knife into the waistband of Buffy’s jail-issued clothes. The other item, a small cross, she tucked into the other side of Buffy’s waistband. She pulled the shirt down over the edge to cover the objects.

Faith moved back around the table to look at the blonde girl. “That’s all I have with me. Anything else?”

Buffy nodded. “If you find the others, give them the box. Willow knows how to destroy it. Check with Willie to find out where they are. They might be at the mansion, maybe that warehouse on Ninth, or maybe at Angel’s old apartment. Keep looking. Tell them what’s going on.”

Faith snorted. “If they don’t kill me first.” Faith moved to the door. “Later, B.”

“Wait!” Buffy closed her eyes and struggled with her decision. Giles had been issuing weekly passwords in case of emergency since Faith had defected. “Tell them… Tell them I said ‘marmalade’.”

Faith looked at her with amusement. “Marmalade?”

Buffy smiled sheepishly. “Giles picks the passwords.”

Faith offered her a smile. “Thanks. I won’t screw this up, B. I promise.”

Buffy nodded, and lowered her head as the door closed. She let the tears slip out onto her cheeks and began praying that she hadn’t just made the biggest mistake in the history of the world.

**

Willow sighed and continued to sketch the floor plans of the jail out onto the paper in front of her. She *really* missed the library’s crummy printer. Snyder had fallen asleep a couple of hours earlier, and Willow straightened and stretched her back, trying to keep the tiredness from seeping into her bones. The mental image of Xander slipping bonelessly to the ground kept filling her head and keeping her going. She glanced over at Oz, immersed in his book , and at Angel, who was making notes as he checked passages in Giles’ spellbook.  
“Anything yet?” she asked softly.

Oz looked up, and shook his head sadly. “Nothing powerful enough to stop an invulnerable guy.”

She turned her gaze to Angel, who continued mouthing words as he read.

“Angel? Anything?” He didn’t seem to hear her.

“Angel?” Oz asked, waving his hands to capture the vampire’s attention.

“Anybody home?”

Angel looked up, and nodded once. “I think I’ve found a translocation spell. We can zap ‘em out of the jail. Problem is, I can’t figure it out.”

Willow stood and made her way over to him. “Let me see.” He wordlessly turned the book around so it was facing her. Willow’s eyes skimmed the page. “No good. I’d need a second, and Amy’s visiting her grandmother in Texas.” Willow looked slightly embarrassed. “Seems being a rat had an effect on her psyche. She needed some downtime in a non-Hellmouth area.”

“What about Anya?” Oz suggested.

***  
The Mayor led Faith out of the jail and into the crisp night. “So. Want to take in a movie?” he asked.

Faith smiled and shook her head. “I have some stuff to do at home. Besides, I should really be guarding your box.”

“My box! Right! I knew there was a reason I felt safe leaving it with you.” He put his hands on Faith’s shoulders. “My Faith never lets me down.”

Faith tried to give him an answering grin and nodded. “Yup. I’m your Faith, all right.” The Mayor opened the car door for her, but she hesitated. “I’m gonna walk, Boss, just in case I can find Willow or Oz.”

The Mayor chuckled. “Always on the case.” He climbed into the car and rolled down his window. “Don’t forget to have one more glass of milk before bedtime.”

Faith nodded and waved, walking away. She rounded the corner of the jailhouse and sank to the ground. The weight of the world was pretty darn heavy. She wondered how Buffy had dealt with it. She sighed, and stood again. She had to find the others, she had to give them the box, and she had to get the pages in her pocket to them. She had a busy night ahead of her. “Marmalade,” she muttered, running into the night.

***  
Cordelia sat shivering in the car she'd borrowed from her aunt, slowly patrolling the streets of Sunnydale. She'd gone to the school to see if there were any last minute things that she needed to do for the Ascension, since she'd missed the earlier meeting because of work.

What she'd found at the school was the reason she was patrolling. Several police officers and a few other people she'd guessed were FBI had surrounded her car.

One of the benefits of her father losing their money, she'd learned to identify government on sight. And learned to keep her mouth shut.

It was the questions that she'd been asked that had gotten her thinking that something rotten was going on. The agents had practically pulled her from her car and surrounded her, asking her question after question.

"Do you know Buffy Summers? Do you know Willow Rosenberg? Do you know where we can find them?" The barrage covered every member of the Scooby gang and continued for several long minutes, despite her numerous denials.

When she'd finally been dismissed, she climbed back into the car and placed the key in the ignition. Before turning it, the crackle of a nearby radio caught her attention.

"Summers, Giles, Wyndham-Price down. Harris apprehended. Rosenberg last seen in this vicinity." They reeled off an address and Cordelia's heart sped up.

Something very bad was happening.

And it was happening to her friends. Well, her sometimes-friends.

She peeled out of the parking lot, leaving the gathering of uniforms, and started driving, spending her paycheck on gas, desperate to find Willow, Oz and Angel before anyone else did.

A sight caught her eye and she clenched the steering wheel tighter. Anya, Xander's prom date, was ducking inside Angel's old apartment. And Faith was just a few feet away, standing in the shadows.

Cordelia parked the car and climbed out, walking determinedly across the street. She sighed as Faith walked into the shadows of the doorway and paused, her hand hovering above the door. She really needed to just stick to her day job.

***  
Anya read through the spell and nodded. "Sure. I can help."

"No tricks?" Willow's green eyes were serious. "My friend's lives are at stake here. I don't want you playing games with us. If we're going to stop the mayor, we need Buffy and the others. And that means I need you."

"No tricks." Her dark eyes were serious as well. "The Ascension scares me too. I'm not a demon anymore. I'm just a mortal. He goes demon, I die too."

Satisfied, Willow nodded. "All right. Let's get it started."

***  
"Giles?"

The librarian sat up instinctively, crying out as he hit his head on the bunk above him. "Bloody…"

"You're alive?" Xander was sitting on the floor beside the cot Giles was lying on. He looked tired, but none the worse for wear.

"For now. What happened?"

"Well, I don't know all the juicy details, but I was drugged and woke up in a jail cell. With you. Not my finest hour, by any stretch of the imagination. I heard Buffy earlier, arguing with someone. Wesley's still out cold in the bunk above you."

"Willow? Oz? Angel? Cordelia?"

"No, or at least no idea, on all counts. They've mentioned Oz and Will, asking me if I knew where they'd go if something bad happened. I told them…"

Giles looked at the younger boy, as he seemed to try and gather his spirits. "It's all right, Xander. I'm sure they slipped something in all of the drugs they gave us."

"I told them…Jamaica. At least, that seemed sort of an Oz-y destination. I'm not sure about Willow though."

Giles smiled, mentally berating himself for doubting Xander. "I'm sure she'd be happy in Jamaica with Oz." As soon as the words left his mouth, he desperately wanted them back. First he insulted the boy, then he twisted the knife of loneliness and jealousy as well.

Xander's spirit faltered briefly. "Yeah. I'm sure she would." The silence in the jail cell seemed eternal. Finally, Xander got to his feet. "So, what's the plan, G-man?"

"I haven't a clue."

***  
Faith stood at the door, wondering for a moment, weighing the options once again. The straight and narrow or the twisted curve for a path?

The twisted curve lead to hating herself and hoping silently that she wouldn't survive the Ascension.

The straight and narrow meant suppressing, or at least dealing with, the fire inside her that made her special, that fueled her.

"Fork in the road, Faith. Time to dine." Reaching out her hand, she knocked.

Angel opened the door, his demon face slipping on instantly. "You're trespassing."

"I'm…" Faith met his golden eyes. "Marmalade."

Angel's demon visage slipped away. Marmalade was Buffy's word for "I'm all right, she's maybe all right, but keep her away from the stakes." He nodded and stepped aside.

He waited until she was inside before shutting the door. The sight of a small, strong hand stopped him. Cordelia met his eyes, much as Faith had just moments before.

"Earl Grey."

He nodded and held the door open for her. "Glad you're okay."

She tilted her head toward Faith. "Sure she is?"

Faith ignored them both, staring instead at Willow and Anya. "What are they doing?"

"Performing a transposition spell to replace the people in the jail with these lovely sacks of clothes." Angel gestured to the hastily prepared stacks that Willow had insisted upon.

Faith's face changed the moment he said spell and she rushed forward, intent on Willow. Oz caught her mid-stride and snarled. "Sorry, Slayer-girl. You can't play with Willow anymore."

"You have to stop her! The mayor has the jail under some sort of protection. If she tries this she's going to…" Faith stopped as Willow uttered the last words of the spell.

And disappeared.

"Replace them in jail." The Slayer finished.

A wave or air swept through the room then seemed to be sucked out, leaving all but Angel gasping for breath. They instinctively closed their eyes, opening them only when they were able to breathe again. As one, they all did a double take.

Giles, Wesley, Xander and Buffy were sitting in the middle of Angel's apartment.

Wearing nothing but their underwear.

**

Giles and Wesley immediately turned scarlet once they realized the situation, and Xander grabbed the nearest sheet for cover, but not before Cordelia had gotten a pleasant eyeful. Buffy sat nonchalantly, seemingly not aware of her almost-nakedness, or just not caring. She met Angel's shocked glance calmly, and then rolled her eyes, reaching over to grab Xander's sheet off of him.  
"Thanks," she told him sweetly, making his eyes widen and his protesting mouth shut with a click. She looked over at Snyder. "What's *he* doing here?" Her mouth lifted and she stood, tying the sheet around herself like a towel. She walked over to him, her eyes glittering.

"Wha-- What's she doing?" Snyder asked nervously. "What are you doing??"

"I'm just gonna pull some information out of our little old principal," she murmured brightly. "I'm sure you won't mind giving it up."

"Buffy, that's enough," Angel broke in. She looked at him pleadingly and he had to stifle a laugh. "No," he insisted, "He's doing his part." She sighed heavily and gestured to her attire. His eyes took in her sheet-wrapped body for a moment, and he suppressed a smile as he went off to find the clothes that she used to leave in his apartment.

"So, Snideguy," Xander muttered. The principal glared at him and he shrank back against the wall, lowering his eyes. Snyder nodded in satisfaction as Angel came back into the room, carrying an armful of clothes.

He handed them out, some jeans and a pair of leather pants, along with some shirts to the men, and a pair of workout sweats and tank top that Buffy kept at his place. Cordelia looked longingly at Xander's nude chest and then turned to Wesley with a charming smile. "Wear the leather ones?"

He nodded haltingly, mute and they went off to separate rooms to change.

But Angel didn't miss the wink that Buffy sent his way.

***  
When they were all clothed and comfortable, they sat in a circle in the living room, looking at each other expectantly. Giles pinned Faith with a hard stare and she squirmed under his gaze. "Was this all a trap?"

"No!" she burst out. "I mean, why would I care enough to trap you? No, I'm just in this to live." She looked down at her hands.

"Then what's going on?"

She sighed deeply and then looked up. "The mayor plans to eat you. All.

Everyone, all. Except me. Well, I don't know, he might have been lying about that too. Buffy especially, because he says that the blood of a Slayer who has been... resuscitated from death is the strongest of all and will cement his Ascension. Something like that. Mostly, he just wants to break her. Make her nuts."

Buffy looked shocked. "You didn't leave me in the jail."

Faith smirked. "It wasn't me who got you out."

Buffy rolled her eyes, unwilling to fight the same old fight about Faith's soul. She looked at Angel again. "So what happened here?"

"Willow and Anya were doing a spell," he explained, "to relocate you all. And it seems to have backfired in one of the worst ways possible."

Wesley lifted his eyes to the vampire. "Yes, well, thank you for your opinion, Angel. I'm sure we already knew that."

Buffy smiled and placed a calming hand on her... ex-boyfriend, she thought bitterly. But it worked, and he didn't seem so offended. "So how do we get them back then?"

"Well, no more spells," Xander interrupted. "None of us knows how and we'd probably not only switch back, but we'd also be lizards or something. I have bad luck with magic." He shrugged. "So I guess it's good, old fashioned breaking and entering.”

Faith brightened, and even Giles lifted his head. Buffy shook her head at Faith. "Nuh uh. You don't get to go. It'll be Giles and me; the Mayor would know what you were doing right away. It's better if we keep you on the inside for a little while."

Faith slowly nodded her agreement, and then brightened again. "I have the box," she announced casually. Oz stared at her.

"Box?"

"Yeah, of Gavrock. The spiders. The mayor wanted me to watch it," she informed them.

Giles' voice was tight. "Well, I suggest you get it and bring it here while we try to get Willow and Anya. When we bring them here, they can do the spell to destroy it, and then the Ascension will be incomplete."

The room was silent, and then they began to stand and go their separate ways.

***  
Willow stood shivering in her cell. Anya was in the bed above her, but remained curled into a ball, hugging herself and rocking slightly. Willow sighed and stood, thinking about what little cover she had on, and how cold she was, instead of thinking about the mess she had gotten herself into.

At least no one had realized they were there yet.

As if that thought triggered something, a tall, dark haired vampire strode into the room, and then stopped, looking at her in confusion and something else, something almost... lascivious, she thought nervously. She wrapped her arms around herself tighter. "Aren't you supposed to be a male?"

She looked up at him defiantly. "And who says I'm not?" she demanded, realizing a moment after the words were spoken how stupid they were. His eyes drifted down her underwear-clad body again. "Well, okay, I'm not, but your orders must have been wrong."

He gestured to Anya, who was peeking over the top of her mattress. "And this one?"

"Oh," Willow murmured, thinking fast, "They drugged her. And they're still out looking for the other ones."

The vampire narrowed his eyes. "And why are you answering all of my questions?"

She slipped him a silly little smile. "They gave me drugs too... Some... kind of," she giggled. "Truth serum." He nodded, suddenly understanding, and she spoke again. "Cold in here. Can we get blankets?"

He faltered for a moment, confused, before nodding and hurrying away. She sighed out, relieved and then spoke into the quietness of the cell.

"They'd better hurry. He's stupid, but bound to figure it out."

Anya murmured something in agreement and then the cell fell silent again.

***  
Faith rushed into her apartment. She looked around frantically, out of breath from running all the way there and then her eyes settled on the box.

She ran toward it, swooping it in her arms and turning around.

A voice stopped her, a mere foot before the door.

"And what are you doing with my box, my girl?"

Faith’s heart dropped to somewhere in the vicinity of her knees. She tried to effect a casual air as she slowly turned to face her ‘boss’. “They’re on their way here,” she said, still slightly breathless. “To steal it.” She carefully omitted that she was the 'they’.

The Mayor’s eyebrows rose. “That little redhead and her boyfriend? I wouldn’t worry about them. You could kill them in seconds.”

Faith’s mind worked in overdrive. “But she’s a witch, and she had this weird, um, glow, thing happening. I think she may have cast some kind of spell on herself.”

The Mayor considered this. “Perhaps a protection spell? That could be a little problem. Well, we’ll think of something.” He pushed himself up from the chair near her door. “Where were you, Faith? I’ve been waiting a long time.”

Faith wrapped her arms tighter around the box. He was standing between her and the door. She had to get past him. “I was out looking for them. Um, but when I finally found them, in the cemetery, they were working some black mojo and talking about stealing the box. I, uh, thought it would be a good idea to get it out of here.”

“They knew you had it?” the Mayor seemed incredulous.

She nodded, hoping he didn’t see the way her hands were shaking. “They, uh, saw you drop it off earlier. I guess they had to go cast that spell before they could come back and get the box.”

The Mayor nodded thoughtfully. “Excellent work, my dear.” He bent down so his eyes were level with hers. She examined the evil burning behind the harmless blue of his eyes, and forced a smile to her face that she hoped he would view as enthusiastic. “I was waiting to tuck you in,” he said suddenly, straightening and touching her shoulder lightly.

Faith smirked. “I think it’s going to be a late night for me, Boss. Why don’t you take care of more important stuff?”

He squeezed her shoulder. “What could possibly more important than my Faith?” He sighed. “But I suppose you’re right about hiding the box. I don’t need the slayer squad getting their hands on it.” He backed away from Faith and began to pace. “Where are you going to hide it?”

An idea suddenly leapt into Faith’s brain. “Right under their noses. I’m going to take it to Angel’s old apartment.”

The Mayor burst out laughing. “Ironic. Poetic. Perfect.” He placed his hand in the small of her back and began leading her to the door. “After you’re done, I want you to come straight home and go to bed. You’re going to need your beauty sleep for the Ascension party.”

She grinned and nodded. “If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to party.”

He suddenly appeared concerned. “Faith, be careful. I don’t want anything to happen to my girl.”

Faith looked into his eyes and reminded herself of the contents of the box. “Bye, Boss,” she said softly. She began running as soon as she was out of his sight.

**

The Mayor climbed back into his limo and ordered the driver to take him back home. He stared at the door to Faith’s place for a few seconds before turning to the vampire across from him. “Pity she’ll have to die after the Ascension. She’s so much fun. And such a good worker! You don’t find many like her nowadays.”  
The vampire snickered and turned his attention to the night outside.

***  
Wesley sat in Angel’s apartment, feeling useless. He was getting sick of it. When everyone had split up, they had left him here with Cordelia and that Snyder man. He sniffed, the sniff of a man already put out, but not sure what to do about it. “Guard the home front, my foot,” he murmured to the air in front of him.

Cordelia was at his side in an instant. “Wesley? Did you say something?”

She flashed him one of her most winning smiles, delighted when his eyes glazed over and he got that giddy look on his face. The look faded with her next sentence. “Do you have a plan?”

Snyder snorted from his vantage point in Angel’s leather chair. “He wouldn’t know a plan if it walked up and bit him in the..."

“Actually,” Wesley interrupted, rising from his seat in his excitement. “I do have an idea.” He briskly grabbed Angel’s phone and began punching in a long series of numbers. He waited while Cordelia and Snyder watched for someone to pick up on the other end. “Quentin Travers, please.”

***  
Angel edged along the side of the building, keeping both Buffy and Xander in sight. He knew Oz would be a few feet behind Xander, with Giles and the bag of equipment bringing up the rear. He strained his ears for any voices any noise that would indicate people around.

He stopped and allowed Buffy to catch up with him. “What?” she asked softly as she reached him.

“Where were you held? Do you know which area?”

Buffy scrunched up her nose in the way that he’d always found so adorable and thought about it. “I’m not sure. I was out cold when they brought me in, and I didn’t exactly get out through the front door.”

Angel nodded. “Okay.”

Xander, Oz and Giles had reached them by now, and they stood in silence as they waited for further instructions. Angel let his eyes roam all over the building and then he looked up, to the roof. He finally threw his hands open in a gesture of defeat. “Well. I’m open to suggestions,” he whispered.

***  
Wesley smirked with satisfaction and hung up the phone. Cordelia was staring at him with undisguised awe, while Snyder merely looked puzzled.

“I don’t get it,” the principal finally acknowledged.

“The council’s gonna call off the FBI,” Cordelia explained. “They’re going to use non-regular channels and have the whole investigation called off.”

Snyder’s eyes widened. “Can they do that?”

Wesley stood, strutting like a peacock in front of the other man. “It should only be a matter of minutes before the orders are issued to the force here in Sunnydale.”

Snyder stared at him, absorbing the info. He reached into his suit pocket and withdrew a small book and a pen. Clicking the pen, he began writing.

Wesley’s curiosity got the better of him. “Um, Mr. Snyder, what--what are you writing?”

Snyder didn’t even look up as he replied. “I’m making a note to never, ever, piss off Mr. Giles again.”

***  
Buffy was about to respond when she felt the cool metal of a gun barrel against her neck. "Don't move." Sighing, she raised her hands into the air. "All right. Not moving."

"Is Oz with you?"

The werewolf raised his eyebrows and stepped around the corner. "Can I help you?"

The gun was pulled away from Buffy's skin as a tall, blonde woman stepped out of the shadows. "Hey."

"Heather?" Oz smiled. "What are you doing here?" Then understanding lit his eyes. "Right. FBI."

"I don't like the fact that I'm supposed to be hunting you, Oz. And I don't like the fact that my partner disappeared an hour ago and I found his body completely drained of blood. I've already accepted werewolves. Are you telling me I need to accept vampires too?"

Xander and Giles joined the group now huddled around the agent. "Who's this, Oz? And does Willow know?"

"This is Heather Beckman. She was dating my uncle for a while, and I got to know her. She's a FBI agent. And she knows…well, my uncle's a werewolf too. So, there you have it."

Heather nodded at the gathered party. "I'm beginning to have my doubts about this being some sort of conspiracy against the government. Not that, with Oz's help, you couldn't pull one off, but I'm going to bet this is a little more Hellish and less national security-ish."

"The Mayor is attempting to turn himself into a pure demon and destroy the town. Then probably the world. So I guess there is a little national security involved." Xander smiled at her. "But that's kind of our second worry right now."

"Second? Jeez, I'd hate to see what really upsets you people." Heather looked over at the jail. "Ah. Friends inside?"

She nodded then looked closely at the people around her. "Didn't we already arrest most of you?"

"Well," Oz drawled. "My girlfriend is a witch. And she did a spell to release them, but it kind of backfired."

"Probably because I was involved," Xander whispered.

"So you think your girlfriend is in there?"

"And quite possibly close to naked." Buffy smiled nervously. "When we got out, we didn’t have many clothes on. So Willow and Anya could be freezing. But we're not sure how to get them out."

Heather thought for a long moment before turning to Giles. "I need you to change clothes."

Looking down at the outfit borrowed from Angel - dark jeans, white shirt - Giles nodded. "I need me to do so as well."

"Well, I can't promise FBI uniforms are an improvement, much less a dead man's, but I need a partner if I go in there. And I need one your friends will trust." Heather smiled. "And, if it helps, I don't really think a change would do you good. I like the look."

Giles' eyes widened as he allowed Heather to lead him over to her surveillance van. "Stay here. We'll be back after I…change."

"Oh God," Xander moaned. "It's bad enough that I have to watch Cordelia flirting with Wesley, please don't tell me we're going to have to watch Giles flirting too."

***  
Willow huddled under the blanket, wondering what was going on in the outside world. The cell was dark and cold, and Anya had yet to wake up. Apparently the spell or their transference had taken more out of her than it had from Willow, which didn't make much sense, since she had been the primary.

Were Buffy and the rest all right? Were they safe or had the spell landed them in an even worse position? Were Oz and Angel okay? Would she ever see them again? She felt the panic rising inside her and deliberately tried to calm herself down. She tightened her hands into fists under the blanket, focusing on Oz's kisses, on researching in the library, on old times with Xand…no. That thought wasn't going to calm her down any.

Xander these days made her think of Faith, which made her angry. How sad that her best friend made her think of her worst enemy. How sad that it was becoming a trend. Damn it. No Xander thoughts.

"All right. On your feet."

Willow looked up at the blonde woman standing in front of the cell. She was dressed in the same outfit as the people who had taken Xander. "No."

"Little girl, I can have some pretty horrible things done to you, not the least of which is give you over to the nice vampires. Now stand up."

"I…I don't have any clothes. I just have my…"

"Stand. Up."

Willow did as she was told, struggling to her feet, hoping her cold limbs would work properly. She grabbed the iron bars as she stood, holding them tightly until she regained her balance.

"Where's the other one?"

Willow nodded toward the top bunk. "She's still unconscious."

"No. I'm okay." Anya crawled down from the bunk, instinctively grabbing for Willow's hand as she set foot on the cold ground. "Now what?"

"You're coming with us. We have your friends. We have you. Our work here is done."

A vampire stepped out of the shadows and leered at the two half-naked girls. "Sure you can't just leave 'em here with us?"

"That's not the way we work, and it's not what your boss wanted. Now back off." The agent glared at him and he immediately slunk away. She turned the key in the door and pushed it back. "Slowly. And my partner will take you to the van. Don't struggle. Unless you want to make it fun for all of us."

Willow and Anya filed out obediently, followed by the agent and the vampire. They met up with her partner at the end of the hall, following him up the stairs to the booking room. Several of the Mayor's henchmen stood there.

"Where ya takin' the prisoners?"

"We have the rest. They're going to D.C., where they'll be tried." The blonde agent glared at them all. "That was the deal. Your Mayor has what he wants; we have what we want. Any more questions?"

The vamps shrugged, moving out of the way. Guarded by the two agents, Willow and Anya walked through the doors of the building and out into the cold night air. Shivers coursed through the barely clad girls as the wind hit them.

The agent holding Willow's arm bent down. "Don't worry, there are clothes in the van."

Hope filled Willow's heart as the soft, British accent washed over her. "Giles?"

"The one and only."

She couldn't help but smile as he turned his head. His green eyes danced in the moonlight. "You're my new hero." "Well, I won't argue with a title like that, but you have more than just me to thank. I just happened to be the only one who fit in the uniform."

***  
Giles continued to guide Willow, his hand on the small of her back as they walked towards the van. He kept his expression stern and serious, but Willow could see the slight smile that was edging his lips.

She whispered to him. "Where are the others?"

"In the van," he mumbled, trying to glare at her. She stifled a snicker and got into the van willingly, looking behind her for a moment to see her former captors staring at them suspiciously. Trying her best to look scared, she crouched down as they closed the doors.

As soon as they were out of sight, Willow breathed, "Who's in here?"

The van started moving and Giles spoke from the front. "All of us." Four blankets stretched out in the dark began to wiggle, and after a moment, her friends uncovered themselves. Willow stared at them, bright-eyed before launching herself at them.

Three pairs of arms encircled her and suddenly it was laughing and crying and hurried, hushed words. Willow noticed Anya and Angel sitting near each other, and looking very awkward, so she pulled back from Buffy, Xander and Oz. Still sniffing, she looked at them gratefully.

"What do we know?"

"Faith is on her way to Angel's apartment right now," Xander said stiffly.

Willow looked angry.

"What was she doing there, anyway?" she asked. He nodded somberly and Oz stroked her arm.

"It's okay, baby. She's helping now," Oz assured her calmly. Willow's eyes flared, but she bit back the retort that was on her lips, not wanting to be confrontational. Not wanting to point out that Faith had hurt her friends in some of the worst ways possible. Not wanting to remind them of how hard it was to come to terms with Faith's evilness. She pursed her lips.

Well, maybe she *did* want to do all those things.

"I just don't trust her, okay?" she burst out. "I mean, she hurts Buffy endlessly, pulls a knife on me, tries to take away Angel's soul... Not to mention what she did to Xander." She paused, feeding off her righteous anger. "And it wasn't easy accepting her in the first place."

The van stopped and they quietly piled out in front of Angel's apartment. Angel's voice was husky. "You managed to forgive me," he reminded her.

"Yeah, but none of that was your fault," she retorted. His eyes were dark with pain and instantly Willow regretted her outburst. She sighed heavily as they walked into the apartment.

"I'll be civil, okay? That's pretty much all I can manage." Turning to Heather, she furrowed her brow. "Who *are* you, anyway?"

Heather's eyes lit with amusement. "Well, I'm the person who had your friends kidnapped, I suppose."

Oz smiled. "She's Heather. Works for the FBI. Believes us."

Willow smiled back at him and leaned into the curve of his arm. "Well, good. Then I guess you're okay."

Giles spoke up. "Now. Could we get back to business?"

"I believe I have your business here for ya, G," Faith said as she walked in, carrying a large black box.

**

The vampire hit the "on" button when he heard his cell phone ring. "Yeah?" He straightened immediately at the voice that greeted him. "Boss. Yeah, we just... How are they??" he squeaked. "Uh, they're fine. Doing good. No, none of us have bitten them yet. They're... Still in their cells... Cold as ever. Yeah. Okay."  
As he hung up, he turned to the other vampire in charge of holding the humans captive. "Uh, Mike. We're in serious trouble."

***  
The Mayor closed his cellular phone with a click. He turned to his driver, angry, jaw set. His voice was almost a growl.

"They've lost them."

***  
Willow shrugged into some oversize clothes in a small bedroom in Angel’s apartment. Anya and Buffy sat across from her on the bed.

Willow began rolling up the sleeves on the black silk shirt Angel had lent her. It contrasted with the sweatpants Buffy had been able to loan her, but she was just glad she wasn’t freezing any longer.

“So,” Anya began, sighing heavily. “What’s with Faith? Why do you guys hate her so much?”

Willow made a face. “I’m not the most un-biased person, when it comes to Faith. You’d better ask someone else.”

Anya turned an expectant gaze to Buffy. Buffy tried to think of a way to explain. “You know how you get a new puppy, and it’s really cool and fun and knows a lot of neat tricks, but then one day, when you least expect it, it turns around and bites you?” Anya nodded. “That’s our history with Faith.”

Willow nodded in agreement. “Couldn’t you have made her a rabid dog?” she asked Buffy, sitting beside them on the bed.

Buffy shook her head and smiled sadly. “She’s trying to help, Will. And, she did bring us the box of bug-death.”

Willow sighed. “I’m glad I left the spell to destroy that thing on my laptop.”

Anya looked worried. “You’re not going to need a second again, are you?”

Willow patted her knee reassuringly. “Oz is on it. You’re absolved.”

***  
Heather snapped open her cellphone as it rang shrilly. “Yeah?”

“This is Cooper. Headquarters has ordered an agent withdrawl and immediate closure of the investigation.”

Heather’s eyebrows shot up in interest. “Really? Why?”

Her colleague grunted. “Damned if I know. I never wanted to come here in the first place. This town gives me the creeps. We’re meeting at LAX at 8:00 am sharp to fly out. Be there.”

“I will,” Heather promised, clapping the phone shut. She surveyed the curious eyes of the room for a moment. “The FBI’s backing off. Leaving in the morning.”

“So, we can go outside again?” Xander clarified.

Heather nodded. “The investigation’s closed. You guys are free.”

Oz grinned. “Good, cuz being a fugitive was a lot of work.”

Giles sniffed. “You seemed to be better at it than some of us.”

Oz pointed at Angel. “Next time, hook up with shadow-guy. It works.” He glanced at Principal Snyder. “As long as the principal shows up with his car.”

Willow, Anya and Buffy rejoined the group clustered in Angel’s living room. “So,” Willow said, going and leaning into Oz. “New plan?”

Giles stood up, automatically assuming the authority position once again. “I have sent Faith to get the spell ingredients to destroy the Box of Gavrock. That is, I believe, the next step.”

“But, the store’s closed!” Willow protested.

“And that’ll slow Faith down how?” Xander asked.

“What about the Ascension?” Buffy asked. “Faith gave you the pages, right Giles? Anything there?”

Giles withdrew his glasses and began polishing them.

“Watch this,” Oz whispered, nudging Willow, “Now he’ll start pacing.”

Giles blew on his glasses as he polished, and began to pace back and forth the living room. Willow shot an admiring glance at Oz. “Xander showed me that two weeks ago.”

Oz shrugged, turning his attention back to the Watcher. “I’m afraid, Buffy, that the only information on those pages was about summoning a demon to fight, er, whatever Mayor Wilkins intends on becoming. What we really need is to find a way around his current invulnerability.”

“Um?” Anya began, raising her hand.

“This isn’t class,” Xander pointed out. “Besides, Giles is a librarian. He’s not a real teacher. Hands just confuse him.”

Both Anya and Giles sent pointed glares at Xander.

“I have an, um, old, acquaintance, who might be able to help us with the invulnerability issue,” Anya said.

“Really?” Giles put his glasses back on, and advanced on her, clearly interested. “Who?”

“Um, Nonnick. The, uh, the demon who grants invulnerability.”

***  
The Mayor threw the lone chair in the cell against the wall, a guttural howl of rage coming from his throat. “YOU LET THEM LEAVE?”

The vampire before him cowered. “The FBI came and got them. I swear, Boss, we had no idea.”

The Mayor straightened and carefully schooled his features into a smile. “Okay, and now the FBI has called off their investigation for no reason, right?”

The vampire nodded nervously.

The Mayor slung a friendly arm around the vampire and began leading him out of the cell. “Well, what do you think we should do about it?”

The vampire actually began the thought process before he felt it. A stake slid in through his back, straight into his heart, and he was dust before he’d formed his first full thought. The Mayor withdrew his handkerchief and began wiping the dust from his hands and from the stake he’d used. “I thought you’d say that.” He giggled at the looks on the faces of the vampires around him. “Listen up, troops. This is what we’re going to do. I am hereby declaring it open season on Buffy Summers or any of the Slayer Crew. If you see them, kill them.” He clapped his hands together. “Oh, I have an idea. If you kill one of them, bring their body to me, and I’ll give you a prime spot during the Ascension. How’s that for a deal?”

The vampires in the room shifted nervously. This went directly against the orders they’d been issued days before. One of the vampires against the wall stepped forward. “What happened to wanting them at the Ascension?”

The Mayor looked crestfallen. “Well, it was just too, impractical, I guess, to want to save Buffy and her friends for my first meal.” His eyes hardened, and he leaned forward, clutching a stake to make sure his point would be taken seriously. “Now, I just want her dead. You guys understand dead, of course, don't you?”

***  
"Why have you returned here?"

"I have a request," Anya tried to hide the trembling in her limbs, but found it difficult. Mortals just weren't made to stand up to demons. "Will you hear me out?"

"You have brought mortals into my realm."

The voice was like ice as it slithered through the cavern. Shivering, she shook her head. "Not mortals. A Slayer, a werewolf and a vampire."

Buffy leaned in toward Oz. "How did we get roped into this gig?"

"No good excuse to get out of it?" The guitarist shrugged. "She said she needed back-up of the supernatural kind. We're as supernatural as she could find on short notice. I don't think Principal Snyder's troll-like appearance is anything other than coincidental."

Buffy stifled a laugh as Anya tossed her a dirty look. Turning back to the demon, she placed her hands on the pedestal he stood behind. "I beseech thee, master of invulnerability, that you grant us this boon."

"Why?"

"The balance will be unaligned if you do not. Evil will be a stronger force than good." He seemed to consider it, so Anya moved in for the kill. "We ask not that you do not deliver on your promise. We realize sacrifices have been made, debts bargained, honor upheld. We only ask that you…suspend the delivery."

"For how long?"

The former demon glanced at the Slayer. "Allow the Slayer five minutes between the transformation and the onset of invulnerability."

Nonnick seemed to swell to twice his former size, as his wings spread out behind him. He walked over to the three standing against the cave's rock walls. "Slayer?"

Buffy nodded, unsure of what to say.

"Slayer, will you kill him in time? Will you live to see another day?" He walked over to Oz, his long talons clicking against the stone. "Werewolf, will you rip out his throat? Will you protect the ones you love?" Turning to Angel, he laughed low and soft. "Vampire? You're not a vampire. You are Angelus. You will survive. Your horrors are not complete if you die."

"Will you help us?" Anya took a deep breath and wished, for what must have been the millionth time, that she had her powers back. That she had nothing to do with these humans. That she didn't like them. That she didn't feel compelled to help them. Wishing had been her stock in trade. Now it just seemed to be her favorite pastime. Nonnick turned to her. "You're nothing but a foolish mortal now, Anyanka. You wielded the powers of the wish and now you're groveling for demonic scraps."

"Yeah, I'm pathetic. Will you help?"

"No."

"What?!" Her anger boiled over and she sent the pedestal crashing to the ground. "You have to help us! I honored all the proper etiquette! I brought three willing volunteers to your chamber!"

"I so don't like the sound of that, " Buffy whispered.

"Shut up!" Anya turned her anger on Buffy, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I don't want to be in this fight, but I am, the least you can do is shut up while I try and get you some help!"

Nonnick let loose a deep, braying laugh. "All right, Anyanka. Five minutes. No more, no less. After that, my debt is paid."

"You…what?"

"You granted me a chance once. I had not forgotten. But I wondered if you would play the trump card. You did not. You get your…wish?"

"My wish?" She laughed. "Very funny."

"There will be an eclipse, as there always is during an Ascension. You will have five minutes from the moment the sun is fully covered." He looked at Oz and Angel. "You will change. You will not be able to help yourselves. Be aware of that."

Oz bristled slightly. He hadn't thought of how he was supposed to fight when the full moon bringing on the eclipse turned him into his cursed form.

Buffy reached over and squeezed his hand lightly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, child. You don't actually know that I've done you a favor."

**

Xander watched as Giles and Wesley poured over several books. Well, actually he watched Cordelia stare adoringly at the younger Watcher. He tried to ignore the pain he felt, but he had a sneaky suspicion he wasn’t doing a very good job.  
"How are you holding up?"

He looked up at Willow's soft voice. "Fine."

"Alexander Harris, I've known you for fifteen years and never once in your life have you been fine when you said you were." She sank down next to him on the couch, pushing the sleeves of the borrowed shirt up yet again. "You're sitting here in Angel's old apartment, watching your ex-girlfriend flirt with a guy almost twice your age."

"Are you sure it's that?" He smirked self-consciously. "Maybe I'm sitting here in Angel's old apartment - the place where he lost his soul - waiting for the woman who used me and put me in a situation where I hurt several people who are very important to me, not the least of which was my best friend."

Willow ducked her head, unwilling to let him see the pain in her eyes. Not wanting him to feel guilty when guilt wouldn't solve anything.

"Or maybe, I'm sitting here next to…" he stopped. "Never mind that one. Stupid."

Her heart clenched in her chest and she blushed. "I saw them take you tonight. I was so scared, Xander." Shaking her head, she squeezed her hands tightly together. "I wanted to attack them, but I couldn't. I couldn't attack a human."

He reached over and wrapped his hands around hers, surprised at how cold they were. "Not to worry, Wills. You got us out of jail, you're gonna destroy the box 'o bugs, and you're still my bestest bud. What more could a guy ask for?" He didn't expect an answer, and he wasn't disappointed. Although, the answer he sought seemed to hang, unspoken, in the air between them.

She looked over at Principal Snyder, huddled in one of the corners, peeking out the window. "Principal Snyder?"

He dropped the shade back into place and stepped back. "I'm sorry. I was just…"

"It's okay. I just wanted to thank you for helping us tonight."

"It was the least I could do." He paced nervously. "I didn't know…I don’t know what's going on here. I know you people are into things…things that I probably don't want to know even exist, but I…I just wanted to be a principal. I just wanted a nice, orderly school. I thought maybe I could work my way up to City Council. I just wanted…" He sank to the floor. "This never would have happened if I had just stayed in Kansas."

Heather hurried back into the apartment, locking the doors behind her. She walked deliberately up to Willow. "You're Oz's girlfriend, right?"

"Right."

"Okay, so I'm going to assume you know about the three times a month family thing?"

"Yeah." Willow wrinkled her brow, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Okay, I accepted that when I dated his uncle. I'm accepting vampires, especially since your friend is dating one. I accept demons, because your friend used to be one. I accept Slayers, since your friend is one. I can even fathom witches, Watchers…whatever else you want to throw at me, but I have an issue with what is outside."

Willow scrambled off the couch, followed closely by Xander and Giles. She pulled the shade back and glanced out the window. What seemed to be hundreds of zombies, vampires and other assorted creatures of the night prowled the streets, searching for something. "What is going on?" Willow lifted the latch and raised the window slightly. "All right, you heard the Mayor!" One of the vampires was standing on Principal Snyder's car and holding the attention of all the other bad guys.

"We bring in the Slayer and her friends and we get a special seat for the Ascension. We're taking back the order we had while the FBI was in on this. Dead or Alive is no longer an option. We want them dead."

Willow shivered, despite the warmth stemming from the closeness of her two friends. "I don't like the sound of this," she whispered, her mind on Faith, Buffy, Angel, Anya and Oz. "We've got too many people out in the field who think the hunt is off."

"And the death toll has potentially increased," the vampire continued. “We're now including the high school principal and any rogue FBI agents. But, for your own safety, may I remind you that if you take down a Slayer, she'd better be blonde. The Mayor won't take kindly to anyone killing his Faith."

Shutting the window, Willow looked worriedly around the small apartment.

"You know what our mistake was?"

"What's that Will?" Xander asked softly.

"We actually thought things were going to go our way. We really should know better by now."

***  
Xander laid a reassuring arm around Willow and she cuddled against his warmth as the room fell silent, listening. The vampire continued to bark out orders and Giles looked at the rest of the group with an ill-concealed smirk. "Do they not realize that we can hear their plans?"

Heather smiled nervously. "Well, I think they really don't care. And I don't like that kind of confidence in the bad guys. These kind of odds aren't what I'd root for. Where the hell are they?!"

Angel stepped in from the back. "Somebody call for us?"

Buffy nodded brightly and Oz rushed over to Willow's side. She slid a smile over to Xander and then snuggled into Oz's shoulder. Angel whispered to Heather, "Heard a couple of them outside. They're waiting for the Mayor to call to give them the go ahead, so we have a couple of minutes."

Wesley's voice rose to a girlish level. "How did you get in?"

"Oh," Buffy said easily, "Angel has a secret panel in the back for this sort of occasion."

"But, they can't come into someone's house, according legend," Heather pointed out. "Right?"

"Works great on houses where the people living in it are alive," Angel answered. "I happen to be dead."

Heather blew some hair out of her eyes. "You guys have more rules than the FBI."

Angel leaned over to Heather. "How many guns do you have with you?"

She seemed startled, and hesitated a moment before shrugging. "Two. But... I thought guns can't kill vampires."

Buffy grinned. "No, but it can hurt them like hell."

Angel nodded. "I have three. Give one of yours to Giles. Buffy, you take one of mine, and Oz, you too." He handed them out.

Giles cleared his throat. "They're going to come in, weapons poised. We'll barely have a chance to fire off one round before we're dead. We need to distract them long enough so that they lower their weapons.”

"Uh," Anya spoke up, "Angel thought of that..."

Willow ignored her and sidled over to the window, lifting it a crack. She stood next to Giles and he looked at her uneasily. "What are you doing?"

She shrugged. "We'll be able to hear the phone." As if on cue, the tiny sound of a cellular phone went off and Willow turned back to them with large eyes. "That wasn't my fault!" she squeaked.

Angel looked at her, peeling off his shirt. Oz did the same, and after a dumbfounded moment, so did Giles and Xander. "Uh, why are we all getting naked?" Xander whispered.

"Distract," Oz whispered back. "Angel explained on the way here. You might not like." He shrugged, starting to head across the room to Willow. Angel shushed him, gesturing for him to stay in the same spot. "No chances that they'll see you moving... Stay where you are. And for god's sake, kiss the person you're standing next to." He ordered.

The group gasped collectively, and even Oz looked shocked. "Okay, so maybe neither of us will like."

"When you hear the pause, lift your guns and fire," Angel continued. The sound of banging on the steps outside the door started and the room stilled for one breath before falling into the arms of the person next to them. Buffy looked at Angel and wiggled her eyebrows before moving naturally into his embrace. Willow looked at Giles with terrified eyes before a grin started to trigger on his face, and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply.

After a moment, her hands wound up his back. Oz and Xander each began hyperventilating, but opened their arms and moved stiffly towards one another. After a moment, Xander dipped his head and began kissing the other boy. Heather and Anya looked at each other before shrugging and beginning to kiss detachedly. Cordelia looked at Wesley with her eyes alight and he pulled her into his arms, not able to get a comfortable kiss with her. Principal Snyder looked around at the mass kissing orgy, shrugged, and hid under the bed.

The door opened and the group continued kissing, waiting for the audible pause.

It didn't come.

"Whoa! What the hell did I miss?!" came a smirking feminine voice.

Angel looked up from Buffy's kiss, smiling a little at her disappointed whimper. "Uh, Faith. ....Um, where are the vampires?"

She shrugged, tossing her stake onto the ground. "Killed em."

Buffy finally looked up. "By yourself?" she said sternly.

"Yeah. There weren't *that* many, B. Just enough to make it a whole hell of a lot of fun. They barely made a sound, they were so surprised. Though I have to admit, they'd probably have been more so if they had walked in here." She gave a wide cat grin.

Cordelia pulled away from Wesley, wiping her mouth. "Yeah, well, I can't say I'm not surprised." She cleared her throat loudly. "Uh, guys? Guys!

Hey, Oz, you have a gun!"

The two boys broke out of the kiss, breathing heavily, flushed. They looked at each other and then the group awkwardly. "I just uhh..." Oz began.

Xander nodded. "Yeah. We were waiting for someone else to break in, right Oz? Right? Right?!?!" His eyes darted around the room nervously and then landed on Willow, who was still in a clutch with Giles.

Buffy seemed to notice at the same time. "GILES!!!"

He let go of Willow immediately and she stumbled back, a dazed look on her face. "Giles!" Buffy wailed again. "You are not allowed to kiss any of us! You are our Watcher!"

His eyes were glazed over and his glasses were crooked, but he nodded.

"Uhm, yes. I do apologize, Willow. It seems I was... working out strategy in my mind, and I, ah... forgot I was kissing you. I'm sorry."

Willow shook her head, her hair falling in her scarlet face. "Really, Giles. Don't- don't worry about it."

Heather's voice rose. "My Lord, people, was it really so hard to keep a level head while kissing a friend?" No one noticed the looks that Willow and Xander shot each other, but the whole group nodded in unison. Heather sighed angrily. "Were Angel and I the only ones prepared to shoot and fight?"

Everyone flushed and then the denials started ringing out through the air.

**

The Mayor ran his tongue over his lips thoughtfully, looking at the vampire who had run to him. The vampire stared at him nervously and finally the Mayor stood, clenching his hands in anger. "Are you certain?"  
"Um... yes."

The word the Mayor uttered seemed to ring out through the air, anger and passion and grief melting together. "Faith."

***  
Faith stepped forward and pressed the bag of spell ingredients into Willow’s grasp. “Mission accomplished. Bag o’stinky herbs and pickled things at your service.” Willow peeked into the bag, and offered Faith a shaky smile of thanks. Faith turned to Giles. “What’s next?”

“We’re going to have to get out of here,” Wesley answered before Giles could speak. “Before more vampires arrive.”

The group collectively glared at him for once again pointing out the obvious. Angel began gathering up the few weapons he had in his old place whole everyone waited.

Giles cleared his throat, advancing slightly on Wesley, who had the good sense to back up. The older man paused as he summoned the sarcastic tone he’d hear Buffy use thousands of times. “Any stellar ideas as to where we should go?”

“Uh, ah, I, um.”

Giles turned away, disgust and victory warring for dominance on his face. He turned to the others in the apartment. “Suggestions?”

Cordelia sighed and stood. “We could go to my new place. It’s kinda small, and my parents will be there…”

Giles shook his head. “We’re going to need some room to destroy the Box of Gavrock.”

Faith brightened. “My apartment. It’s got lots of room, and a huge balcony.”

“Oh yeah, and the Mayor never goes there,” Xander said in a mocking tone.

The smile faded from Faith’s face. “He trusts me. He wouldn’t look for you all there.”

Giles rubbed his face tiredly. It was nearing five in the morning. They had to get Angel tucked away safely soon. “Faith, I don’t think—“

“You don’t trust me?” Faith asked quietly, her face twisted into an incredulous grimace. “I gave Buffy a knife! I brought you the box! I went out and raided the Magic store!”

Buffy stepped forward. “It’s not that Faith.” She glanced nervously at Giles, worried at Faith’s reaction. “We really appreciate all you’re doing, and we know you didn’t have to help. But, Giles is right. Your place is too easily accessible to the Mayor.”

Faith stared at Buffy, searching the blonde’s face for signs of sincerity. Her eyes flew to the one person she could call on to tell it like it was. “Cordelia. That true?”

The dark-haired girl looked back defiantly. “Duh! Buffy hasn’t thrown you to the floor, has she? You’re on the team.”

Faith grinned at the cheerleader. “Okay, so where to?”

Anya sighed and raised her head. “My place. They don’t even know I exist.” She looked to Principal Snyder for confirmation. “Right?”

The Principal eyed her critically. “Who are you again?”

“Right. Anya’s,” Giles announced.

***  
The Mayor stood at his window. The first golden rays of dawn were snaking across the horizon, changing the red and violet hues to lighter shades as the world awoke. He rocked back and forth on his heels slightly, lips pursed together as he thought. In one more day, he’d be leader of this realm. With or without Faith’s help. His thoughts turned to his dark slayer. His Faith. He’d given her everything a girl could want. And she had betrayed him. He still couldn’t believe it. “Not Faith,” he whispered to the pane of glass in front of him. Then he sighed as the truth washed over him again. Faith had killed most of his hunting party. Faith was helping the enemy. He was shocked at how surprised he was at the turn of events. The goodness in Slayers was innate, and he chastised himself he should have known better.

“Boss?” the vampire in his office watched him uneasily.

The Mayor turned from the scene at the window and faced his new General. His new right-hand man. The vampire was an idiot, but willing to serve and follow instructions to the letter. It was the best he could work with on such short notice.

The Mayor weighed his words carefully. “Tonight, find them. Kill them. No mercy, no errors. Understood?”

The vampire shifted under the Mayor’s intense gaze. “And Faith?”

The Mayor straightened his shoulders and let his eyes pierce the vampire’s yellow ones. “Bring me her heart when she’s dead. No matter what happens, that’s one piece of her I intend to keep.”

***  
Willow wearily set up the cauldron in Anya’s basement, thankful for Oz’s help in lifting it. Giles stood in the corner, cataloguing the spell components and murmuring to himself. Heather stood nearby, almost ready to leave, but not quite willing to go yet. Anya had rented a house before she’d settled on Cordy and the wish incident, and now that she was stuck a teenaged student, she lived there. It was roomy, with three furnished floors. Perfect for hiding for the time being.

“You okay?” Oz asked Willow, concerned.

“I’m just tired. We haven’t slept at all.”

Earlier, Giles had taken Willow and Oz aside, explaining how he wanted to destroy the box before resting just so it couldn’t fall into the wrong hands again. The whole gang, minus the four occupants of the basement, had already fallen asleep upstairs, taking up the two beds, couches, and even an easy chair in their quest to rest up for the battle that was sure to come with the evening’s darkness.

Oz nodded. “Yeah. It’s pretty funny the way Snyder’s drooling on Cordelia in his sleep.”

“Are we ready?” Giles asked, approaching the fatigued pair.

Oz wrapped one arm around Willow and supported her. “I’m just gonna say goodbye to Heather. She’s got to go to LA in a few minutes. Then we’re ready.”

Giles nodded. “Hurry then.”

***  
Heather stood at the front door, holding it open with her foot. She nervously fingered her pistol, running her thumb across the barrel as she bit her lip. She knew that this wasn't her fight. She knew that she needed to get the hell out of Dodge. But something in her, maybe her fighting spirit or maybe something even stronger, wanted to stay.

"Hey."

"Hey Oz." She slipped the gun back into its holster and smiled at him. "You're sure you guys don't need me?"

"Well, any extra bodies with stakes and crosses and the knowledge of what to do with them is a good thing but…" he shook his head. "My uncle would skin me alive if I let something happen to you."

She grinned. "Your uncle and I were finished months ago. And you know that."

"Yeah, well, Giles is sort of a tough guy to get to know. Besides, after his Willow kiss, I'm not exactly in the mood to set him up with someone."

"I would think an active…" she broke off seeing his smirk beginning to form. "All right. I'm off to the airport. If you're sure."

"Positive."

"Tell everyone I said goodbye."

"I will." He stepped forward and hugged her tightly, telling her with the gesture everything he couldn't say with words. "Thank you for everything."

She tilted his chin up and kissed him lightly. "You're welcome." With a casual smile, she moved out of his embrace and swung the door open. "Now, go destroy your box and get some sleep. I've got a plane to catch."

"And if you don't go, you'll regret it…"

"Please. Don't quote Casablanca. You'll make me cry." Adjusting her cap, she slipped out the door and jogged to her van. Oz watched her until she was safely inside the vehicle before shutting the door and heading back toward the basement.

***  
Giles sank down to the floor and stared intently at the cauldron in front of him. Willow was sitting nearby, cycling her breathing, calming her senses.

He was slightly worried that she was going to fall asleep as her breathing grew more rhythmic, but he knew that she wouldn’t let him down. She had yet to let him down.

"Giles?"

He started, not expecting her to speak. "Yes, Willow?"

"If we destroy the box, what happens?"

"Well, he won't be as invincible as he's supposed to be. The box is, according to Faith, carrying his last meal. He's supposed to eat thirty of the spiders before the Ascension to prepare his body for the changes. Without it, I would assume he's going to feel a little more pain and suffering as the change overtakes him."

"Goody."

"And then, while he's suffering through the pain of the transformation, we'll be able to use the grant from the demon and Buffy and the rest of us can attack him while he's vulnerable."

"We don't have room for mistakes, do we?"

"We rarely have room for mistakes." Giles shrugged. "If you think about it, we're always fighting for our lives, never sure if we're going to make it." He grinned over at her, noticing that she was watching him closely. "But we always do. One way or another."

She imitated his grin. "One way or another." After a long moment, she looked away from him, a rosy blush tinting her pale skin. "You know, there are a lot of things I've never done in my life, that I might regret if I die before doing them."

"Willow, you shouldn't talk that way."

"But, I have one less now."

He glanced up at her, wondering, until the implication of what she was saying sunk in. "Oh. Well."

She winked then got to her feet as Oz walked into the room. "Shall we do some of that old black magic?"

**

Xander opened his eyes slowly, as he felt gentle tapping on his shoulder.  
He was surprised to see a very fuzzy Cordelia bending over him. "Wake up," she hissed quietly.

He blinked rapidly and tried to sit up, but she pushed him back to the ground. "Cor…"

"Shut up." She looked around to see if anyone was awake, then lowered her head onto his chest. Curling up against his warmth, she snuggled as close as she could to him. "I just want to hold you for a little while. I'll be gone before anyone else wakes up, so don't get any ideas in your stupid head. You got that, Harris?"

"Got it, Queen C."

"And don't think anyone would believe you if you told them. And if you told them, I'd be forced to mention your little lip lock with your best friend's boyfriend to a certain jock we both know."

"My lips are sealed."

"Yeah, were they with Oz?" She giggled. "Puts a whole new spin on your relationship with Willow, doesn't it?"

"I don't…"

"Stop. Don't say that you don't have a relationship with her, because we both know you'd be lying. You guys are never going to be over each other. Maybe people will come between you now and then and maybe you'll have feelings for someone else every once in a while, but she's always going to be the last thought on your mind. And you're hers. I forgot that for a while and look where it got me."

"I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be. You've done your best to make up for it. And some of your best was very good." He smiled, thinking about how beautiful she'd looked in her prom dress. "But for right now, Xander? Could you do me a favor?"

"Anything for you, Cordelia."

"Could you forget the redhead for a minute and hold me like I mean the world to you?" She met his eyes with tear-filled ones of her own. "I don't want to die without knowing what that's like."

"I think I can oblige you." Xander wrapped his arms around her thin form and pulled her close to him. He breathed in her spicy scent, his fingers lacing through her hair. Feeling his fatigue settle over him once more, he drifted off to sleep, loving the woman in his arms.

***  
Faith shivered violently, as a cold chill seemed to work its way up her spine. Visions of the mayor drinking blood from her heart echoed through her head and she couldn't seem to make them stop. This was worse than any dream she'd ever had, bordering on the prophecy dreams Buffy had told her about.

Yet another Slayer thing Faith never got to have for her own.

Although from the way Buffy described them, they weren't the best part of the package deal. And if this was what they were like, well, she was pretty sure she didn't want them at all.

"You okay?"

The soft voice of her sister Slayer cut through the vision and forced Faith's eyes to snap open. She looked into Buffy's ocean blue eyes and shook her head. "I haven't been okay in a long time, don't you know that B?"

"Usually you deny it."

"Well, maybe my defenses are down, hanging around with you wimps."

"Well, us wimps plan on winning this fight, so I guess that makes us winning wimps."

She laughed softly. "Yeah, well there's a title to strive for."

"Like I told you a long time ago, the trick is not to die. You die, they win. Even if it's your heart that dies. Maybe especially if it is."

"My heart died a long time ago, B."

She shook her head. "No. If that were true we wouldn’t be here right now." She looked over at Angel, sleeping peacefully in the dark shadows of the room. "Maybe it's been hiding, but it's not dead." Pressing her hand to Faith's chest, she closed her eyes and focused on the beat beneath it. "I can feel it pumping. I can feel the good in you."

"You're an optimist."

"No, I just refuse to not get what I want." Buffy held out her hand. "Come sleep over here. It's warmer." Faith took her hand and let her pull her over toward Angel. Buffy crawled up on the bed, stepping over him as she did so. Faith followed, lying next to the other Slayer somewhat uncomfortably. "Sweet dreams."

"You too, Buffy."

***  
The dawn came, and Buffy stayed up watching it, holding her sleeping friend in her arms. Faith's silky hair brushed her cheek, and Buffy laid her head on top of the other girl’s. Just watching the sun, reveling in the day. The day that she had to preserve. The day that she had to help survive.

Faith's eyes opened and she whispered, awe-struck by the beauty of the light that she had never noticed before. "It's amazing."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Yeah, it pretty much is, isn't it?"

Faith shrugged Buffy's arms off of her and smiled at the other Slayer. "I was too busy looking at the dark side of life before, I guess."

"And you're not now?" Buffy's eyebrows rose.

"I guess being soft-hearted does that to you. I'll tell you later if I like it or not," Faith grinned.

"Like the light?"

Faith smirked. "Like being soft-hearted."

***  
Xander laid a gentle kiss on Cordelia's lips, waking her. Cordelia's arms wound themselves around his neck, the familiar smell of him wafting over her comfortably. Finally he pulled away and looked down into her large eyes.

"I didn't give you permission to do that," Cordelia said, hiding a smile.

Xander's face fell. "I just thought... You know, dead and all."

Cordelia reached up and touched his mouth softly. "Yeah, I know. I was only kidding." She smiled. "It was nice, waking up like that, with you."

Xander nodded solemnly and kissed her again, quicker, firmer before pulling her up with him. He tugged on her hands and she fell into his hard chest, looking up at him in annoyance. "I'm flattered, Cordy, but this really isn't the time," he said as he led her to the group.

"Oh, ha ha."

***  
Willow opened her eyes and looked around blearily. A man in front of her. Another behind her. Somehow she had gotten nestled between them. She blinked, clearing her eyes a little, and recognized the man in front as Oz. Straining her neck to look back, she recognized the other as Giles. She grinned to herself and snuggled in deeper. "I don't mind this," she mumbled, closing her eyes again. "Not at all."

"I don't think Xander would, either," Cordelia broke in teasingly, causing Willow's eyes to pop back open and Xander to groan.

"Let go of it, will you, Cordelia?" he muttered.

"Never," she said, placing a hand on his arm lightly. His eyes locked with hers and they smiled in unison as Willow struggled out of the three-way embrace to sit up. She yawned.

"Where's... Uhm, who's missing? Where's Angel and Buffy and Faith and Wesley? And, oh I never thought I'd be asking this, Principal Snyder?" Giles rolled over and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her hip while she proceeded to redden. "Uh, Xander," she said pointedly, to get his eyes off of what Giles was doing, "Answer questions?"

Xander shook his head, peeling his mind off of the sudden jealousy he felt. "Um, asleep in the shaded room, don't know, don't know, don't care and don't *wanna* know," he said, answering her questions in order.

Willow finally slapped Giles' shoulder. "Giles," she whispered frantically, her face burning. "Stop that now."

Giles sat up so quickly that Willow wondered if he had actually been asleep or not. She grinned at his mortified look. "I'm sorry, Willow," he began haltingly.

"No- It's okay. Oz, wake up. Oz?" Oz opened his eyes slowly and smiled when he saw Willow leaning over him. Willow gazed at his face and vaguely noticed Buffy and Faith entering the room. "Wake up now."

Oz grinned. "Anything for you."

The group huddled together, sitting down on the ground in a small circle.

"What's next, Giles?" Buffy finally spoke up.

"Now..." he said softly, "Now we prepare... And wait."

**

"They what?" The Mayor's voice rang out through the room, angry and booming.  
"Uh... Burned it, Sir," one vampire mumbled.

"They burned my box?!" he shouted, sticking his face next to the vampire's and glaring at him. "Is that what you're trying to tell me? I just want to be clear." In the time lapse of a single second, his voice went from furious to soothing.

The vampire looked up hopefully. "Yes. Yes sir. I'm so sorr--"

The apology was cut short as he disintegrated into dust and ash, the Mayor looking at the stake in his hand with contempt. "I hate doing the dirty work," he muttered to a nearby flunky who nodded stiffly in abject fear. The Mayor sat down heavily. "Well, I hate doing this, I really do. I had hoped that there would be another way. But I guess not. Darn. This is the only way to ease my transformation."

"Uh, what, Boss?" one asked nervously.

His eyes glinted with a murderous rage and a sadness that bordered on real. "I have to drink the blood from the heart of a Slayer."

***  
The Mayor stood in the circle. Hastily constructed, it nonetheless oozed an inky black fog, as the Mayor chanted softly. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow, and he concentrated, finishing the spell and stepping back with a great flourish.

A dark clad figure sat serenely in the center of the circle. A sheathed sword lay at its side. The Mayor smiled and extended his hand, helping the stranger up. “Glad you could make it,” he gushed enthusiastically.

The man turned to regard him with hostile eyes, and the Mayor felt a twinge of uncertainty. Maybe invoking the ritual to call the Hunter had been a bad idea.

“You summoned me,” it accused in a monotone.

“Yes, well, I knew you’d be glad to be here, once you were. I, uh, have a challenge for you,” the Mayor replied, moving to behind his desk and sinking into his chair. “I need you to find someone for me.”

The Hunter gazed at him coldly. “I am one of the last of my kind. We have searched out souls for millennia. I do not appreciate being trapped and drawn into your world.”

The Mayor’s eyes flickered under the Hunter’s harsh accusation. “Well, if you look closely, I think you’ll find that killing me won’t yield another soul for your collection.”

He smiled slightly as the Hunter nodded in agreement. “You are soulless.”

The Mayor shrugged. “A deal’s a deal. But to the topic at hand what do you know about the souls of Slayers?”

The Hunter cocked his head as he considered the Mayor’s question. “Do you not mean the soul of *the* Slayer?”

The Mayor grinned in response. “Funny you should ask that. You see, there are currently two Slayers.” The Hunter looked surprised for a millisecond. “Buffy and Faith. Buffy is blonde, shining, a wonderful example of all that is good and pure. You know the type. Faith is … more complicated. More like a dark goddess. She likes to walk the wild side. You’ve been on vacation too long, I’m afraid. You missed all the good gossip.”

The Hunter reached down and plucked his sword from the Mayor’s floor. “The soul of a Slayer is remarkable. It has unyielding hope, infinite love for the world it protects, strength beyond imagination.” The Hunter smirked. “Too bad it ends up trapped in a young girl’s body.”

The Mayor grinned, glad the Hunter was becoming more interested in the subject. “I have a proposition for you.” The Hunter looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to continue. “A Slayer’s soul would be a wonderful trophy for your mantle, don’t you agree?”

The Hunter smiled. “I could feed off the power for generations.”

“I know, so I am going to offer you first dibs on these Slayers. You can kill one and steal her soul. I just have two requests in exchange.”

The Hunter looked suspicious. “What sort of requests?”

“I want you to try to get Buffy first. She’s been nothing but a thorn in my side. And besides, I have … investments in Faith’s well being. For now, anyway. If you can’t secure Buffy, Faith will have to do.”

The Hunter nodded, “I can grant that request. The second?”

The Mayor raised his face to the Hunter’s. The Hunter examined the anxious glitter in Mayor’s eyes. “I want you to bring Buffy’s heart to me. I get the heart, you get the soul.” He paused, letting his proposal sink in. “Do we have a deal?”

The Hunter smiled wickedly and grasped the Mayor’s offered hand in acceptance. “We do.”

***  
Anya stared at the blue sky, a difficult decision on her mind. She had been talking to herself animatedly for the past hour, going in the same circle, getting nowhere. She huffed, annoyed with being indecisive and mortal, and sat on the picnic table. “Fight the Ascension, or flee and live. Fight the Ascension, or flee and live. You know, this should be a no-brainer.”

“I think it’s harder when you used to be invulnerable. Kind of skews your perception.”

Anya jumped as Willow’s voice reached her. She looked at the redhead before glancing back into the house, her eyes resting on Xander as she spoke. “Other things skew it too.”

Willow followed her line of vision. Nodding slightly when she saw the object of Anya’s gaze. “Yeah, I can, understand that.”

“What are you going to do?”

Willow’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What am I going to do?” she repeated. Anya nodded, tearing her eyes from Xander. “Stay, and potentially die, or go and potentially die later.”

“You’re not comfortable with this mortal thing are you?” Willow asked, a hint of a smile on her face.

“No, I’m serious. Are you staying?”

The smile faded from Willow’s face as she examined the setting sun in the sky. “Yeah, I’m staying.”

Anya leaned forward, eagerly. “Why?”

Willow stared at her in shock. “What do you mean why? Because Buffy needs me. Because she’s saving the world again, and she’ll need my support. Because saving the world is what we do. Not every week, but often enough to know that we’re making a difference.” She squared her shoulders and stood proudly.

“But no one ever knows,” Anya pointed out. “There’s no reward, no glory, nothing except a few bruises. Why do you do it? I know why Buffy does it; she has no choice. Why are you and Xander and all the others going to stay?”

Willow’s answer was automatic. “Because we love her. We won’t let her do it alone.”

“But, what if you… What if you die? Just martyrdom?” Anya pressed.

Willow’s face softened. So this is what was at the heart of the argument. “You’re afraid to die?”

Anya bristled immediately. “Not afraid, just … worried.”

Willow nodded. “We’re afraid too, Anya. We’re not the bravest people in the world. We just don’t think about it much, I guess. Sometimes, helping the people you love is more important, than what you’re afraid of. Sometimes, you’re willing to lay your life on the line for them.” Willow paused, contemplating her words. “The best relationships are with people you would die for. They’re the most rewarding in the end.”

“So, love is stronger than fear,” Anya elaborated.

Willow smiled at her. “By a long shot.” She moved to the picnic table and sat beside Anya. “You don’t have to stay,” she began softly, “but your support will be appreciated if you do.” Her face broke into an impish grin. “Besides, having an ex-demon on the team may give us an edge we don’t know about.”

Anya giggled. “I’m not very … edgy.”

“You staying?” Willow asked. “Gonna help us fight the bad guy?”

Anya’s face took on a serious look. “Yup. To the death. I just hope it’s his.”

***  
The Hunter stood outside the building called City Hall. He raised his face to the twilight sky and inhaled deeply. So many souls. The scent of thousands surrounded him. He could feel the souls of the Slayers. Strong and pure, they lured him like perfume. He sighed in contentment for a moment, before beginning to walk west, to one of the residential neighborhoods.

The Mayor beckoned the vampire in the shadows closer. The vampire moved quickly. “Yeah, Boss?”

The Mayor pointed out the frame of the Hunter, moving down the street. “Follow him. When he finds the Slayers and their crew, make sure they all die, and that The Hunter returns with the heart.”

The vampire nodded quickly, motioning for a couple of vamps to follow.

The Mayor leaned back against the door as he watched them run out of sight. “Tonight they die,” he whispered to the air around him. He thought for a moment about what a worthy adversary Buffy had been, and he thought about how she and her friends had stymied him so often, forcing him to come up with new and innovative plans. They forced him to think more, be more alert, more creative. And he had just sentenced them all to death. The Mayor smiled slowly. “It’s about time.”

**

Principal Snyder shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he watched the rest of the group. Everyone seemed to be doing something. The two Slayers were in the basement training with Angel, Mr. Giles and the rest of the teenagers were leafing through books and he had absolutely nothing to do. “Shouldn’t we be doing something? I mean, isn’t that what you people do? Your job has always been to mess up all the plans that I was supposed to have pulled off without a hitch, and yet here you are, doing absolutely nothing.”  
Xander looked over at him briefly before turning to Giles. “Why is he here again? I mean, it’s bad enough we have to deal with him,” he cast an angry glance in the direction of the couch where Wesley was sitting a little too close to Cordelia. “Why does Principal Snyder have to be here?”

“Xander, stop whining. He did after all save Willow, Oz and Angel.”

“He couldn’t have just saved Willow?”

“I appreciate your complete lack of sentiment,” Oz said dryly.

“Oh, it was my pleasure,” Xander smiled.

“Remind me to return the favor next time you’re in danger.”

Giles gave them all a look to silence them before turning back to his book. Anya sighed and tossed her book onto the coffee table. “Why are we doing this research again? We know that bad things are going to happen. Isn’t that enough?”

“All of your lives could be at stake, Anya. If you wish to go into this without any kind of…”

“Okay, I get it. Knowledge is power.” She was about to continue when a knock at the door interrupted her. “Oh good. Something to break the monotony of this…”

“Monotony?” Xander asked.

“Yeah.” She stood up and started for the door when Wesley stopped her.

"Be careful. There’s no telling who it could be.”

“No one knows that I live here. No one knows who I am.”

“Could be Death. He’s got everyone’s address.” Oz mused.

“Or opportunity,” Willow suggested hopefully.

Ooh!” Xander raised his hand and waved it wildly. “Could be Girl Scouts selling those yummy cookies!” Taken by the thought, he immediately stood and made his way to Anya’s kitchen.

Giles sighed. “Just answer the door.”

Huffing loudly at Xander’s attention span, she threw open the door quickly in annoyance.

A heavy voice intoned loudly, “I have been summoned from the Netherworld to purloin the soul of the pure of heart of she who holding the world balance in her hands. I seek the Sl--… Anyanka?”

Xander dropped the box of crackers he had found as he stared at the dark-clad figure in the doorway. “Not cookies.”

“Oh shit,” Anya mumbled under her breath before squeaking brightly, “Hi Bob!”

“I was summoned to devour the soul of the Slayer. Her soul’s scent has led me here.”

“I just switched my perfume,” Anya continued conversationally. “Plus there’s a distinct lack of body odor in this era, you may have noticed.”

“Over a millennia I have searched and found the souls of the brave and pure, and now you attempt to deceive me with perfume?”

“Bob, be reasonable, why would I, Anyaka, Mistress of the Wish consort with the likes of the Slayer?”

“Your pathetic endeavor to dissuade me from my task will find no mercy in me. The Slayer is here and I will have her.”

Anya sighed and rolled her eyes. “Let me check and see if I have a Slayer lying around.” She shut the door abruptly in his face and locked it for good measure. She faced Giles anxiously. “Okay knowledge-guy. Suggestions now.”

“Who, or what, is Bob?” Giles inquired casually.

“A Hunter. Devours souls of the pure. Feeds off them for years and submits the soul to horrible torturous pain before oblivion. Kinda neat really,” she answered.

“I thought the Hunter was a myth,” Giles mused.

“Yeah, well, people think the Slayer is a myth too,” Anya shot back.

Giles opened his arms expansively, seeking input. “Very well then. What should we do?”

“Well, seeing as how Anya and this guy have some sort of history, she should be able to point out his weaknesses, right?” Xander said. He turned to Anya slowly. “Finally, your chance to be the hero.”

“Don’t get insulting. This is about self-preservation, okay?” Anya clarified, advancing on Xander and poking him in the chest for emphasis. “I’m a demon, a villain, a black hat. Until I get my powers back, it’s in my best interests not to turn the Slayer over to Bob and have him suck her soul like long stringy spaghetti.”

Xander grabbed her finger that was repeatedly poking him, stopping her movement. “Hey!” He poked her soundly in the chest in retaliation, before immediately blushing at the realization that his finger had hit more flesh than bone. “Um. Yeah… Anya… Weakenesses. We sound be focusing in his weaknesses. Focusing is good.”

A blush suffused Anya’s cheeks. “Focus, right. Weaknesses. Of the Hunter, not the knees of mortal teenage girls. Right.”

Giles stepped between them. “For two people so interested in focusing, you’re doing a very poor imitation of it.” He turned Anya away from Xander’s gaze, effectively blocking her view of him. “What do you know?”

“Hunters, for all their bluff, bluster, and good vocabulary, are really, really, stupid,” she began. “They’re essentially blind to the soul they are devouring. They can only trace it through its scent. People in the past have fooled them countless times though various ways and means.”

“Various ways and means?” Xander asked. “Is that like a plan? Because I have one of those…”

***  
“Buffy? Could you guys come up here?” Willow stood at the top of the basement stairs, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet. “We sort of need your help.”

Buffy, Angel and Faith trudged up the stairs and stopped short at the sight of the living room. The coffee table was overturned, water stained the carpet all around Principal Snyder who was lying on the floor dressed in a tablecloth that had been fashioned into a skirt, an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of high heels that had been crammed over his toes. “Do I even want to know?” Buffy asked timidly.

“I had a plan,” Xander said excitedly. “And it was good. I think. So far.”

“And this plan required him to be passed out and in drag?”

“Well, passed out, in drag and…well, something else.”

Buffy gave Xander a suspicious look. “Something else? And why does that small phrase instill fear in my heart?”

Cordelia sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Xander wants you to roll around on Principal Snyder.”

“Xander wants to die.”

“No! It’s important. It’s a good Xander plan.” Anya sidled closer to Xander to offer support. “He needs to have your scent.”

Angel growled softly. “Could someone who has the intent of making sense explain this, please?”

“There’s a Soul Hunter outside. He’s looking for the Slayer. According to Anya’s information, he can be easily fooled by someone doused in the Slayer’s scent.” Wesley explained. “And so Xander came up with the plan to sacrifice someone else in your place.”

“And Principal Snyder volunteered?”

“Well, he had complained that he wasn’t part of the plan,” Xander replied. "Actually, he was willing to do this. To make up for everything else that's happened. It was the gtting dressed up n drag that set him off."

“I don’t know,” Buffy hesitated.

“Come on, B. Look at the little troll. He’s got expendable written all over him.” Faith gave Buffy a push so that she tripped and fell, barely keeping herself from landing on Snyder. “And one life given in order to save the world…isn’t that the way it works?”

“But it’s supposed to be my life.”

“If that’s the case, then what the hell are the rest of us doing here?” Faith shook her head. “Let’s go, B. We’ve still got an Ascension to stop, remember?”

Buffy sighed and took a tentative step toward Snyder. “Sacrifice, right?”

“Right.” Xander nodded, a queasy look on his face. “Uh, actually Buff, could you wait until I’ve left the room? I don’t think I can actually stand to watch this.”

“This was your plan, Xander.” Buffy nodded to Angel who moved behind Xander and grabbed his shoulders. “You get a front row seat.”

Buffy knelt beside the unconscious form of Principal Snyder and touched his arm, rubbing the sweatshirt tentatively. Faith made a disgusted sound. “Come on, B. Get in there, mix it up. Put a little soul into it.”

The rest of the group stared in horrified fascination as Buffy began to rub Snyder’s body more vigorously. She ran her hands over his arms and lower legs, her lips pressed together in an effort to keep herself together. After she’d been at it for a few minutes, she looked up weakly at Giles. “What…why would the Hunter think that he’s me?”

“He can only go by your scent.”

“Oh.” She grimaced. “Do you think that’s good enough? Because if I do this much longer, you’re not going to have to sacrifice him in my place.” “How should I know? I’m not a Soul Hunter. I do wishes.”

“Actually, you don’t do anything,” Cordelia reminded her. “Other than open the door to demons.”

“I vote we sacrifice her,” Anya complained.

“I really don’t see that this is productive at all,” Wesley stepped between the two women and looked down at Anya. “Surely you can give us your best guess.”

“There’s only one way to tell. But you guys are going to have to go away. If she’s here, he’ll smell her and there’s going to be no way he’ll believe baldy here is the Slayer.” Anya turned and gave Xander a tentative smile. “Which would ruin your really good plan.”

“Where are we going to go?” Buffy sighed. “I thought we came here because no one knew where here was.”

“Well, we only have to leave for a few minutes. It shouldn’t take him too long to take the soul and then he’s good for at least one moon cycle.”

“Cool,” Oz nodded.

“Once he’s taken the soul, he can’t claim another for at least that long. Soul Hunters are a dying breed, so there’s little chance of another one coming along any time soon.”

“All right then,” Giles ushered everyone toward the back door of the house. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Xander started out the door, followed closely by the rest of the group. Just as they reached the door, Angel grabbed Buffy’s arm and shook his head. “I can’t go out there.”

“But…” Buffy looked back into the living room where Anya was headed for the front door. “We have to leave. If he smells your soul…”

“Anya said that he was only interested in yours.”

“But Anya could be wrong. I don’t know that I trust her fully.”

“And yet you trust Faith?” Angel gave her a small smile. “I think Anya’s number one priority is staying alive. I doubt she’s got an ulterior motive here other than impressing Xander.”

Buffy sighed and took a small step toward the door. “You’ll be all right?”

“I’m a big vampire. I can take care of myself. Been doing it for a long time.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t loved you nearly long enough.”

**

The group of vampires stood poised under the cover of the sewer, waiting for the group of the Slayer’s friends to come in their direction. As the came out of the house, the head vampire pushed the lid up and started climbing out of the ground. He stood in the dark shadow surrounding the building and smiled hungrily at he humans. “Oh, look at the pathetic little Slayer’s crew. What’s the matter? All sad now that the Slayer’s soul is gone?”  
“Great,” Xander shook his head. “The vampires have come out to play. Now there’s something original in Sunnydale.”

“Not exactly cutting edge,” Oz agreed.

“If I get vampire dust on this outfit,” Cordelia shook her head. “There’s going to be hell to pay.”

“Hell is an interesting choice of words.” One of the vampires licked his lips and advanced a few steps toward Cordelia. “Since I’m gonna take you there, beautiful.”

“The one man in Sunnydale who recognizes my good looks has to be the undead,” she snapped back. “Why am I not comforted by this? Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the outfit you’re wearing would look better on a camel?”

The vampire snarled and rushed forward, his gaze intent on Cordelia’s neck until he was touched by the sunlight, sending him bursting into flames.

“Well, that was easy.” Cordy dusted off her hands and leaned back against the house. “Your turn.”

“Thanks Cordy,” Faith shouldered her way past Giles and Wesley. “I think I’ll take it from here.”

***  
Anya opened the front door and smiled widely. “Oh, hey, sorry about the wait.”

“I will not be thwarted, Anyanka. I will have the Slayer’s soul.”

“Right. Sure. I was just getting it ready for you. I was going to, you know, sauté it or something, but then I remembered you liked them raw.” The Hunter pushed Anya out of the doorway, inhaling deeply. “The scent is strong here. I will find the Slayer and eat her soul.”

“Do you want a bib? I just had this carpet cleaned and I’d hate for you to make a mess.” "Oh, uh, she was trying to get away, so I stopped her.”

Ignoring her, he leaned even closer. “This soul is not as vibrant as I expected. A Slayer should be glorious.”

“She is. Very glorious. But unconscious. Makes the soul less…vibranty.”

“You are sure this is the Slayer?” The Hunter glanced up at Anya.

“Sniff her if you don’t believe me.”

Grabbing the arm of the sweatshirt Snyder wore, the Hunter lifted it to his nose and took a deep breath, filling his empty shell with Buffy’s scent. “The Slayer indeed.” Eagerly, he leaned over the unconscious principal and placed his hands on his chest, sending Snyder into convulsions as his essence left his body. Releasing him, the Hunter leaned back and swayed slightly. “It…it was not…the Slayer.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that. But it’s a soul. And its not like your trophy room isn’t the size of the Smithsonian already.” Anya looked down, shock suffusing her expression as Snyder’s body started to wither away. “Oh! My carpet.”

The Hunter reached into the dissolving chest and grasped the heart in his hand. “You will pay dearly for this Anyanka! No demon shall stand in my way! I am Hunter of the Soul. I am…”

“You’re what? Making a lot of noise about nothing! What are you going to do? Suck out my soul? Oh, whoops. Can’t, can you?” Anya braced her hands on her hips. “And I am so sending you my carpet bill. Do you know how hard it is to get human dust out of the carpet? You’re just lucky you don’t have a woman who might want vengeance on you.”

The Soul Hunter stepped back under Anya’s assault, heading for the door. “This is not finished Anyanka.”

“Right. Well, next time I have no intention of answering the door. What do you think about that? Huh, BOB!?”

***  
Faith brushed the vamp dust from her pants as she made her way back to the group near the back door. Wesley cringed and took two steps back from her. “Wes, I wasn’t really going to feed you to them, I swear.”

Wesley stepped behind Willow. “That’s close enough!”

“I needed a distraction,” Faith explained, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender.

“Bodily throwing me into two vampires is not a distraction!” Wesley argued, turning Willow around in front of him and using her as a shield as Faith moved up the steps and into the house.

“Get over it,” Faith tossed over her shoulder. “Is the coast clear?” she called out to Anya.

“Yeah. The Soul Hunter’s gone.” She walked up to Xander and hugged him, ignoring the looks both Cordelia and Willow gave her. “Your plan worked brilliantly.”

“Really? I mean, oh good.” Xander blushed and pulled away, very conscious of the looks of the other two. “Well, so the plot twist is dealt with, what do we do now?”

“Now,” Giles said as he sat down, carefully stepping over the chalky outline of Principal Snyder’s body, “We need to formulate our plan of attack. We only have a few hours before the Ascension is to begin. I’m guessing that the Soul Hunter will lead the Mayor into believing that he’s claimed Buffy’s soul.”

"And then he’s going to eat the dead guy’s heart.” Anya nodded eagerly. “At least, that’s my guess.”

“Assuming it is Buffy’s.” Wesley nodded. “Of course!” He grabbed a book from where it had fallen on the floor and leafed through it quickly. “A-ha! Without the Box of Gavrock, he needs a power source. The Slayer’s heart is the most powerful thing in the world.”

Giles nodded his agreement. “Of course. So, this may be another chink in his armor, allowing us even more opportunity to kill him, in addition to the grant of vulnerability that Anya was able to procure.”

“All right.” Buffy managed to look up from the remains of Principal Snyder, trying to reconcile the man who had spent the last two and a half years of her life torturing her with the man who had been willing to give his life. “So, we need a plan.”

“Do you think this could help?” Willow held up a sheathed sword. “Because it looks kind of dangerous. And danger’s good, right? When it’s not us who are in it?”

“The Soul Sword.” Anya’s eyes widened. “That’s what the Hunter uses to cleave the soul from a body if he can’t get close enough. Wow.”

“Excellent.” Faith took the sword from Willow’s hand, giving her a smile in the process. “Thanks, Red.”

Willow met Faith’s eyes defiantly, refusing to back down. “What if Buffy wants that?”

“She can fight me for it.”

“It’s okay, Wills.” Buffy slipped the knife that the mayor had given Faith out of the sheath she’d attached to her belt. “I’ve got a weapon.”

“Well then,” Wesley stood and brushed off his jacket. “Time to get everyone else fitted with some sort of weapon. We’ve got a fight to take to the Mayor.”

Oz looked out the window, the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand up. “The eclipse is coming. The moon is changing..." Angel snarled in Anya’s direction. He could feel the demon rising in him and was startled to see it happening to her as well. “The moon isn’t the only thing.”

Cordelia backed up a step in the face of Anyanka. She looked at Willow and Xander quickly, the faint whiff of a memory drifting through her. “What’s happening?”

“It’s my demon,” Anya marveled. “That’s strange.”

“Strange. Good adjective.” Xander looked to Giles for guidance. “So, what do we do?”

Giles slapped a stake into his hand. “We kill the bad guys.”

Faith smiled and walked to the front door, the sword in her hand. “And Buffy and I will drop in and crash the party.”

***  
The Mayor smiled in anticipation, eyeing the small, jeweled box that rested in the Hunter’s hands. “Is it done?”

The Hunter paused for only a moment before nodding and holding the box out to the Mayor. “The deed has been accomplished.”

The Mayor grasped the box firmly, marveling at the slight weight of it in his palms. “Such a little box…” He smiled approvingly. “And how was the soul?”

“You care about such things?”

“In truth, no.” The Mayor sighed but then his eyes brightened warmly. “But an impending ascension is no reason to be rude. So it was good?”

“As matters such as these can be relayed, yes,” the Hunter said, confusion darkening his gaze. “Know what would have made it better?” The Mayor laughed delightedly. “A glass of milk. Milk makes so many things better. Good for the bones, you know.”

“My work is done,” the Hunter intoned, dropping in a slight bow before fading from sight.

The Mayor nodded and then walked over to his cabinet, opening it and pulling out a tall glass of milk. Bringing it back over to his desk, he sat down and then opened the box that contained the Slayer’s heart. Slicing into the heart with a ceremonial knife, he forked up a small piece of it and placed it on his tongue, chewing thoughtfully. A dark smile curved his mouth and he looked over at the window, noticing the light begin to soften, the moon’s glow begin to take over. “Now it can begin.”

He started to carve off another slice of Slayer heart, but paused and reached over to take a long swallow of milk. He nodded definitively. “It just makes everything better.”

**

Buffy surveyed the area from the confines of the former principal’s car. She figured that since Snyder didn’t need it anymore, she could use it to save the world. Faith drummed a happy tune on the dashboard, waiting for the cue from Buffy to head to the roof.  
Buffy kept her eyes trained on the sewer entrance, waiting for a signal from Angel that his team was in position. He had taken Oz and Anya through the sewers so as not to alarm the general populace with their monster-y appearance. She squinted in the dim light and allowed a tense smile to grace her lips as she saw the manhole cover in front of City Hall rattle before silently sliding back into place.

She flashed the lights on the principal’s car, letting everyone in Giles’ car across the street know that the show was about to begin. Faith stopped drumming. “We on, B?”

“Yup,” Buffy replied. She reached into the backseat and grabbed a grappling hook and the knife the Mayor had given Faith. She stepped out of the car and held her hand up to show Giles five minutes. He nodded, pointing to the sky to show her that the eclipse wasn’t far off and she should hurry. Faith slammed her car door, and hefted the sword over her shoulder.

“Little conspicuous, don’t you think?” Buffy asked.

“Oh yeah, and a grappling hook is standard accessory gear for today’s girl,” Faith replied.

They hurried across the street just as Giles, Wesley, Willow, and Xander exited Giles’ car. Buffy rolled her eyes as Cordelia vehemently refused to get out, insisting that not only was this a suicide mission, plus it was bad lighting. As the rest of the gang headed for City Hall Xander tossed a remark over his shoulder that caused Cordelia to scramble out of the car quickly.

Willow turned to Xander. “What did you say?”

“I told her that when she had a vampire’s pasty white skin that every light was going to be bad lighting.”

Willow smiled as Cordelia passed them and hurried through the main entrance first. The smile faded from Willow’s face as Cordy came charging right back out again, heading for Giles’ car. “What’s up with that?”

She heard Wesley’s gasp and looked past him to the hallway in City Hall. A hallway filled with vampires. “That might’ve been the best idea.” She paused. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Cordelia.”

Giles stared grimly. “Buffy’s going to need us inside.”

“We’re safe as long as we’re outside right?” Xander asked, “I mean, sunlight hurts vampires last time I checked.”

“Until the eclipse,” Giles agreed.

“Who’s dumb plan was this?” Xander asked.

Willow looked nervously between the two of them. “Xander, Buffy needs us inside, not outside arguing.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going inside. I just asked whose dumb plan this was.” He flashed her a quick half smile before bringing the crossbow down from his shoulder. “Because I know this wasn’t my dumb plan.”

“For once,” Wesley snorted.

Giles broke open his vest to pull several bottles of holy water out. “Could you both just shut up and fight?”

Willow let out a small banzai yell and charged through the door, stopping short of the vampires in the lobby. “You guys were supposed to follow!” she hollered over her shoulder, holding a cross and a stake at the ready as the vampires surrounded her.

“Right. Sorry.” Giles noted, as the rest of the group ran in to join the fray.

***  
Buffy pulled herself over the low wall of the roof to see Faith pacing restlessly, hefting the sword repeatedly as she tested its weight.

“Okay,” Faith breathed. “So how does this go down? Straight take down? We toy with him? What?”

Buffy squatted beside the skylight and surveyed the room below. “We should probably wait for him to show up first.”

“Right. Battle tactics 101.” Faith joined Buffy next to the skylight and stared down into the room where she’d nearly sacrificed her soul. “I wanna take this guy down, B.”

“Me too.”

“I want it bad.” She looked over at Buffy to see if she was looking at her. When she didn’t meet her eyes, Faith continued, “I just don’t know if I can do it.”

“When the fate of the world rests on your shoulders, you find out you can do a lot of things you never thought you could.” Buffy continued to scan the room, tensing when the door opened and the Mayor strode in, looking supremely confident. “I had to kill Angel. And I didn’t think I could. But I did it.”

“What if I’m not as strong as you?”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Buffy nodded toward the Mayor as he sat as his desk and opened a book. “We go in?”

“We go in hard and fast.”

Faith smiled and brought the sword down into fighting position. “Now you’re talking like me.”

***  
Angel forced open the fire escape door and scanned the basement quickly. “Coast is clear. Let’s go.”

Anya moved in behind him, her hand over her face. “No one’s here?” Panic laced her voice. “No one can see me?”

“You’re not invisible,” Oz noted, speaking around his elongated teeth. He sniffed the air, searching for familiar scents. “The others are in. And they’re scared.”

“I guess that’s our cue.” Angel swung up the stairs, headed for the main floor. The others followed closely behind him, reluctant to let the fighter leave them behind. He burst through the door, startling the vampire that had been guarding it. With a quick motion, Angel staked him then moved into the main lobby.

Vampires had the small group of fighters surrounded, although they seemed to be holding their own. Giles’ vest was ripped, although he still hurled bottles of holy water, burning any attacker daring to get too close. Xander was wresting with a vampire who had gotten hold of his crossbow, trying to loosen the monster’s grip. Willow plowed through the dust of a staked vamp, heading for her next victim, as Wesley followed in her wake, holding any advancing monsters off with a cross.

“One at a time,” Angel muttered underneath his breath.

“One at a time, what?” Anya asked.

“We kill them one at a time.”

“I don’t think so,” Anya replied. A second later, she noticed Xander and his vampire, and hurried forward, kicking the vampire in the shins and boxing his ears. The vampire staggered back, releasing his grip on the crossbow.

“She has strange motivations,” Oz noted, his eyes locked on admiring Willow’s ferocity as she continued making her way through the crowd of demons.

Angel smirked and headed for the fight. “Don’t we all.”

***  
Buffy glanced up at the sky, her whole body tensed for the fight to come. The moon was sliding into place over the sun and the whole of Sunnydale was shrouded in a haunting darkness. “It’s almost time.”

Faith, whose gaze was locked on the Mayor as he performed some sort of ritual, nodded. “I get that feeling. He’s starting to change.”

Buffy looked back down into the office, gasping softly as the Mayor’s body and skin seemed to shift, elongating, stretching grotesquely. He threw his head back as the transformation continued, his body becoming the long black form of a snake, his head growing hooded like a cobra.

“Ew,” Buffy shrugged. “I’ve killed prettier demons.” Giving Faith a grin, she nodded toward the skylight. “Showtime.” With a graceful leap, she shattered the glass and sailed through the air, landing neatly on the Mayor’s desk.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” the Mayor said, staring at her in shock.

“I get that a lot,” Buffy replied. Checking the sun in the sky to make sure it was fully covered, she circled around the Mayor, taking in his new appearance. As the moon covered the last slice of sun, his demonic form vanished, leaving him in his human state once again.

He stared at his hands in confusion as Buffy sank the knife into the back of his neck. “And you’re supposed to be invulnerable. Guess they don’t make Slayer’s hearts like they used to, eh, Mr. Mayor?”

He fell forward, sputtering impotently as Buffy sank the knife in further.

He let out a shriek of shock and pain, his body sprawled on the carpet. He crawled forward, trying to escape Buffy, muttering under his breath.

“You know, as far as villains go, you’ve been the easiest to kill.”

“You’ll see little girl, I still have some cards up my sleeve.”

Faith dropped to the floor in front of him, squatting down and smiling at him. “And would one of those cards be me?”

***  
Angel smiled as the Mayor’s shriek echoed through the entire building.

Picking up the vampire he held in his grip, he bared his teeth. “Sounds like a death knell to me, boys. I don’t suppose you want to add your own to it, do you?”

“Not really.”

“Then I suggest you run.”

***  
“Faith. There’s my girl.” Blood dribbled out the side of his mouth as he spoke. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

Faith helped the Mayor to his feet, her eyes locked on his. “I figure after all of our history, you deserve to be standing up when you die.”

“You can’t kill me. I made who you are.” Real fear shone in his eyes as he watched her twirl the sword in her hand. “And you expect me to thank you for that?” Faith laughed hollowly. She shoved him away from her, slamming him back into the wall so that the knife sank even further into his neck. “Funny thing is, Boss, I feel better about myself having these guys hate me than having you love me.”

She raised the Hunter’s sword above him menacingly. Her gaze darted to the door where the rest of the group had gathered, looking battered and worn from their own battle, then to Buffy who gave her an encouraging smile. “You know what, Boss? Thanks for nothing.” She swung the sword in a wide arc, anticipating a brutal backlash as the sharp blade pierced his flesh.

Instead of a shattering impact, the room exploded in black light, sending them all crashing to the floor as the Mayor’s cry rang throughout the room, fading as his body was obliterated.

Sitting up, they all realized the room was flooded with light, the eclipse gone as they all returned to their human forms.

Oz looked in from the hallway, noting that besides the shards of glass from the skylight, the room was in perfect condition. “Huh. That was anti-climactic.”


End file.
